On Repeat
by Wolfy Tales
Summary: A collection of KakaSaku AUs. Newest up, In the Universe of Fairytales II - Snow White AU
1. In the Universe of Gods

What you need to know: This is a collection of KakaSaku AUs because I think it's what the people want. I'll interpret prompts I've made or found, but also GIVE ME PROMPTS. Please understand this is not an automatic promise I will do each and every one of them. But if it's a unique and fun idea I'll attempt it. Cheers!

Disclaimer: I do now own Naruto.

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><p><span>Scenario One: In the Universe of Gods<span>

_Greek god and roman counterpart AU - found from the tumblr authorkurikuri_

_._

Kakashi, the mighty god of military victory and wisdom, watched his friends and fellow heavenly beings go forward in excitement to find their counterparts. Cheerful exclamations and laughs echoed around their haven in celebration for this blessed moment.

Ever millennia or so, it was tradition for replacements to come for their positions. Kakashi had taken over after his father, and _wow_ had Kakashi been nervous about replacing him. Sakumo had created a pious fervor hard to follow. Despite this inevitability he had always been aware of, Kakashi could not help but feel a little saddened by the idea of simply handing over his position.

Thousands prayed in desperation and hope to him, and suddenly he had to hand it over to some green horned tyke straight out of the Almighty Academy? Yes, once you retired it was apparently great, but Kakashi liked his position. And he was not _that_ old.

Despite not being able to do anything about this trade-in, Kakashi would be sure to thoroughly question whoever thought themselves great enough to take his seat of power. Sure, he had to stick around some thousands of mortal years to train whoever it was as required. But that was just a blink of an eye for them; Kakashi had to make sure this person had the true character to uphold his responsibilities.

Passing Obito, who was staring into an equally grinning (although much blonder) version of his happy persona, Kakashi sighed and slouched further into himself. Looking around, he watched Guy embrace someone with an eerily similar haircut, Asuma talking to some kid whose hair resembled a pineapple, and resisted the urge to shiver as Anko talked to a dark-haired youth who looked like he could easily take over the position of beauty and treachery.

It seemed that everyone found familiar reflections of themselves in the younger generation and were more than excited about this change. Maybe he should at least attempt to be excited over the change over.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Turning, and then looking down, Kakashi took in the sight of a slight young woman with pink hair and vibrant green eyes. While Kakashi's armor was of black and silver, her armor was a glowing, warm gold accented with red. Kakashi's face was hidden with both a mask and blood-red scarf, while her pretty face was open for all to see.

Kakashi, the god of vicious victory through slaughter and carnage, was going to be replaced by someone with pink hair. _Pink hair._

"Excuse me, I'm searching for my new half," Kakashi said as he tried to move. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could ignore the voice of reason saying that she was his obvious replacement.

"That's me. My name is Sakura. It's an honor to meet and succeed you, Kakshi-sensei."

Oh, _and_ she was named after a fragile flower. It just got better and better. Now he was definitely more than just a little concerned about his legacy. Turning, and accepting his fate with what felt like an axe to the neck, Kakashi looked back down at her. His visible eye narrowed.

"You are but a girl."

Puffing up, and almost making her armor look ridiculous despite its glamour, Sakura put her hands on her hips and stood her ground. "I trained with the legendary Tsunade, who was before the time even of your predecessor. I am more than capable of taking your post."

"Well, it is a start," Kakashi said lazily as he scratched at his silver hair. "Tell me, what is your other form? I myself turn into an eight-headed dog who can reach the size of a mountain and kill anything within my sight and jaws."

"I turn into a giant slug."

Kakashi was sure this was not his immortal life.

"I can separate into hundreds to heal and save their lives no matter how grievous the wounds," she continued on, oblivious or simply ignoring the fallen look on his face.

"My right black eye allows me to judge any mortal before me to see if their actions are just or not, and to absorb all they know. My left red eye is a gift from Obito and can see into the future of any fight. I use this ability to predict events in a battle so I can give ultimate victory for whichever side I choose. What can _you_ do?"

"I've read every mortal book that's ever been. I can rejuvenate parts of myself an infinite amount of times," she said proudly, gesturing to the diamond sitting in the middle of her forehead. Well, if anything, the large size of the forehead offered promise.

Ignoring the coos of Kurenai as she attended to her other-half who had pale, lavender eyes, Kakashi took a threatening stop forward.

"Do you accept that I will mentor you for the next ten thousand mortal years? So I can knock some sense into that gigantic forehead of yours?"

He noticed her hands form fists, and Kakashi opened his left eye just in time to see that she was going to try and punch him. Easily ducking the swing, Kakashi ducked behind her and kicked Sakura's knees in, causing her to fall. The clatter of her armor caused the other gods ands replacements to turn in bewilderment. It was rare that gods of the same affinities did not get along together.

"Do not strike out against me. You will be sorry," Kakashi said, his red eye spinning with all the scenarios that could ever happen.

He watched as Sakura ducked her head, her hands still balled into fists at her knees.

.

"Greetings my dear friend!"

"Greetings Obito, Naruto."

"Where's Sakura?" Naruto asked excitedly as his jumped out from Obito's transportation port.

"Oh, somewhere down there," Kakashi said with a shrug as he sipped his tea.

Below them was a fight between thousands of mortals. Kakashi watched Naruto's eyes dart over it, looking for the focus of his affections. It was no mystery that the new leader was entirely in awe of the future goddess of war and wisdom. Yet she was destined to be paired with Sasuke, her perfect opposite and match.

"I don't- _Oh_!"

Just then, an earthquake rumbled and the battlefield cracked in half. Kakashi hummed as the sounds of utter misery and pain welled up, individuals caught between the rubble or fallen down to meet their untimely demise.

Naruto did an exclamation of amazement before he leaped down into the battle himself, not even asking for Obito's permission first.

While Kakashi used lightning to strike those he wanted, Sakura preferred to use her actual body as a weapon. It didn't seem very smart, and also seemed awfully dirty and below a god. Kakashi enjoyed the feeling of crushing those beneath his paws to put them in their place, but Sakura was much too involved. If this battle had been up to him, Kakashi would still be in this position, sipping tea and artfully directing bolts to those he wanted gone. Instead, she was directly in the middle of it, muddling her armor with mortal blood and demeaning herself to stand with them.

It seemed that her sudden earthquake had made the invaders retreat. Kakashi sighed as he knew she would now be transforming into those slimy little things and would attach herself to those who needed her help.

"How is she fairing?" Obito asked as he sat at his side. He pulled his mask aside, sighing in relief and smile visible. Unlike Kakashi, who had perfected it into a lifestyle, Obito did not really like the necessity of covering his face. Yet it seemed the practice was a fragment of the past, as no one in this new generation bothered to hide their faces from the mortals. It made Kakashi again think how disgraceful they were in becoming closer to the humans.

"She does not listen and thinks she knows best at all times," Kakashi said with a frown. "She does not understand that although she knows their literature, it does not mean she understands their wild emotions or drives."

"You are concerned she will get wounded," Obito said with a grin that never failed to infuriate Kakashi.

"I do not understand why she could not replace where Rin had been. Her healing ability is unprecedented," Kakashi said, and regretted it the moment he said it.

Sensing his sudden concern, Obito sighed: "It was a long time ago."

"Not long enough for you to ever forget."

The position Rin held in their realm would forever remain empty, since she had not trained a successor before her passing. The gods would forever mourn one who was cut down in her prime. She was the only occurrence of one of them perishing directly because of mortals, and it had been because she had been too nice. To giving. Too _trusting_.

His best friend laughed bitterly at that before saying: "Of course not. But soon I will not have to wait much longer."

Immediately understanding what his friend meant, Kakashi turned to him with both eyes wide. It was forbidden to talk about their own deaths if they decided it was time. The only one who Kakashi knew to go through it was his own father. Suddenly Kakashi wished he could see into the future of all things like Obito, so he could affirm just how serious his ruler was.

"I know she awaits for me. We could not save her, but I cannot be saved without her. I just hope that you will be alright on your own," Obito said kindly, his sole eye focusing back on Kakashi. "Promise me you will be alright, even after I am gone?"

Kakashi turned away and stood, his scarf flaring about him as his anger rose. Suddenly Kakashi wished the battle had not finished so soon.

"_Kakashi_."

"It is our duty to watch over this realm. Why do you feel that you must leave it so soon? Is it because they forced me to kill Rin? That you do not believe they are-"

"Those humans and all the creatures on this realm are truly worthy of my attentions! Do you think this decision is easy? I am torn, but you do not understand the love I feel towards Rin. Maybe if you opened yourself up and thought about more than just yourself, you would understand."

"You know nothing of the pain and worthlessness I carry because of Father! Do you think I want to feel powerless as I had when he went to the Great Unknown? I was but a _child_."

Hearing the sound of footsteps fast approaching, Kakashi turned away from a frowning Obito. There was no use in making their successors knowledgable of this disagreement.

"I feel like we interrupted something," Naruto whispered to Sakura aside of her.

"Kakashi-sensei, I bring you the head of the unjust emperor," Sakura said as she kneeled before him, offering up the head of a human.

"I do not need anything from this place," the silver-haired god said icily as he kicked the head off of her hands and down the cliffside. Feeling the urge to be free of all this inability despite his power. Kakashi added in a snarl: "You will leave all leave me alone. Do what you will, but do not disturb me."

The last thing Kakashi saw before he transformed and bounded off was the blood-splattered face of Sakura looking at him in a mixture of anger and sadness.

.

When Kakashi finally returned to the heavens above, the tense aura that permeated the place told him he had stayed away for much too long. Something had happened.

"Kakashi!" Obito yelled as he sprung up from his throne. "Where have you been?"

Narrowing his open eye at how distraught Obito seemed, Kakashi asked: "What has happened?"

"It seems the mortals greatly miss your presence, and became increasingly reckless in their bloodlust get you to reveal yourself. There have been wars waged over you, and Sakura has attempted to mediate it, but without success. They ignore her and do not accept her as their new goddess no matter what she does."

"Why is it that they always focused on the battle prowess and not the intelligence I also hold within me?" Kakashi muttered angrily. "Where is she?"

"Therein lies the problem: we do not know. We have Hana and Kiba out searching, but they have not found her still."

Kakashi's left eye snapped open in shock. Never had Hana had been unable to sniff something out. Even with the giant expanse of world their domain had, be it a demigod, nymph or spirit of a single tree: she always found what she searched for. With her successor brother coupled with her, Kakashi wondered how it was possible.

"We think that they have gone somewhere where your presence is masking hers, but we checked your main temples and there was nothing. None of us know all of your secret cult gatherings like you do, and since you were also nowhere to be found until _just_ _now_," Obito said with rare anger.

"I will find her," Kakashi vowed before Obito blinked his single red eye and they were on the mortal's surface. "And I know just where you need to place me."

"I will join you," Obito said, mask hiding the resolve in his face, but his tone making it more than clear how serious he was in this matter.

"While I appreciate it my friend, I need to remedy this myself," Kakashi said with a shake of his silver head, concern suddenly heavy in his chest. Sakura was so strong and independent, never listening. What if something had truly happened to her?

"It seems you grew in that time you were gone," Obito said, and it Kakashi could tell his anger was finally leaving him. Obito held out his hand and Kakashi took it; Kakashi focused on the exact location. Obito nodded once, confirming that he knew where to send him, and Kakashi let go with another solemn nod.

"I will save her," Kakashi said with conviction before Obito transported him away.

.

Kakashi believed his followers had captured Sakura for a future sacrifice, a last-ditch effort to make him appear. When he spotted her chained to the ground in his most zealous cult temple by the sea, his suspicions were confirmed.

While Sakura slowly took his power and energy to transform herself into the new goddess, she was gravely weakened in this space. His enthusiastic followers here steeped it in his presence and self. Meaning, that if any other god came their power would be challenged and ultimately defeated with such an overwhelming presence of Kakashi's power from the follower's dedication.

Here, even with his give and her take relationship, Sakura and been stripped of her ability and self.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth because not only was she chained up, but she was impaled with one of his claws he must have lost during a time in his other form. The claw was speared straight through her body, nearly cutting her in half. If not for her regenerative power, Kakashi was sure she would have perished.

(The claw must have come from when he'd battled Guy over who could outrace the sun. Guy tricked him into falling into a The Silent Valley and Kakashi had barely managed to climb out in time to catch up and win by pulling out one of his claws and using it as a grappling hook. He must have forgotten it in his haste; it and been when he'd been young and still foolish.)

Deciding to end this, Kakashi moved closer and watched as Sakura's body convulsed as he stepped closer. If he hadn't feel entirely destroyed about what he'd done to her, this was the final blow. Disgust and guilt twisted deep inside him.

He had done this. By refusing the natural order of things, Kakashi had made her doubt and be allowed to be captured in such a way. The last time this had happened, Rin had been overpowered and Kakashi had been forced to kill her. To take her out of her misery before she became something she was not.

Finally coming to crouch to her level on the floor (Kakashi would never allow her to fall so low ever again), he reached out and touched Sakura's face. Kakashi willed his energy to flow into her, giving her new strength, and Sakura seemed to finally breath.

"Sakura, I'm here," Kakashi said softly, gloved fingers ghosting over her cheek briefly.

"Kakashi?" Sakura whispered softly, blood leaking out from her mouth and dripping to the floor in a soft pitter-patter. Without her armor and strong personality, she suddenly seemed so weak. It was uncanny and surreal in Kakashi's head, and he hated it.

"I tried to talk to them… to your followers, but they wouldn't…listen to me, and then…"

"It is alright, Sakura. I am here now," Kakashi said in promise before he stood.

He felt this mortal-looking form morph and twist, crack and adjust, until Kakashi felt himself change into his true form. He pushed out the roof of the temple with his wide silver back, knocking pillars with paws and heads easily.

The eight differing faces roared in unison before one leaned down to grab the claw and pull. At the same time, another head caught Sakura and reverently held her. She whimpered lightly, and then was still between his teeth.

Kakashi turned and saw his followers had come and were on their hands and knees, tears streaming down their faces in the presence of their ultimate god. He looked at them and saw their pride and praise that their actions had worked.

Despite this, Kakashi could only focus on the taste of Sakura's blood and feel pure rage bubble up in his chest. Who were they to think that he would be happy with this? That he would desire the sacrifice of a goddess before she even had the ability to rule? Did they really see him as such a beast?

He would _crush them all_.

"Kakashi, please… They don't know any better," Sakura said, her soft voice loud in his thoughts of madness.

Holding back his rampage, Kakashi bent to her will. If this was what Sakura wanted, he would not refuse it to her.

"You have disgraced me in the worst possible way," Kakashi said in the lowly language of the mortals, his voices merging once again into one. "Never again will this temple stand, never again will you see me and never again will you say my name, else you will all face similar fates of destruction."

Kakashi allowed them a moment to focus after being addressed before he lifted up on his back paws and stomped the ground three time. He fell the cliff tremble and waver, the structure begin to bend to fall in to the sea.

As the mortals rushed to save themselves, Kakashi transformed back into his smaller self for Obito's convenience.

"Where do you need to go?" he asked, holding Sakura against his chest protectively.

"To my forest," she said as her body convulsed again. "I need to get back… to the tree I was born from. I've told you about it before. Can you find it?"

Kakashi forced himself to remember: it was in the far reaches of his unconsciousness. She had told him about it when he still disregarded her, just as his followers had. He could be extremely idiotic considering he was supposed to be the master of all knowledge.

"Hold on," Kakashi ordered before calling Obito.

.

Kakashi looked out at the rich forrest all around him. Kindly spirits danced and frolicked by the cool pools in harmony with the plants and animals who came to drink. He looked down at the huge root he sat on and put a hand to it.

The tree seemed to sense his concern, as it gave a calming aura in return. Sakura's mother told him not to worry, that she was in good care.

Taking his hand off the root, Kakashi walked along it into a cavern at the base of the tree. There, surrounded by roots, lied Sakura coated with slugs. Multiple eyes turned and stared at him before retreating back into their little bodies. Obviously they were adamant about keeping their biggest sister safe and helping as much as they could. She had protected them and their beautiful pink mother long enough that they were clearly eager to return the favor.

Kakashi stood and watched before he felt himself shift into his dog form. He was careful to keep his body as small as he could, so he would not burst apart this tree from beneath, or even make the slugs feel threatened at his presence. The silver-haired beast only hesitated for a moment before wrapping his body around hers gently, one of his noses tucked close to her neck to feel her breathe.

And so time passed for Kakashi.

He only left the root's cavern when he needed to allow Sakura to maintain her true self. He was giving her all the energy he had neglected to when he had disappeared. It would not do good to overwhelm her, as his power had at the temple. Kakashi also had to be careful about giving too much, else he become a lesser spirit who would then not be able to go into the realm of beyond that was for gods alone.

In those moments where Kakashi had to sit and wait, he thought under the massive tree of perpetual pink flowers and green, first-spring-day's leaves.

Kakashi realized he had been born in a similar way to Sakura. During a battle of demons idiotically summoned by mortals, his father's liver had been torn out and flown far away from the battlefield. By the time Sakumo had managed to leave the battle to retrieve his organ, it had been absorbed by a field of corn. Taking it as an omen, as Sakumo had also been born through a field of crops, he had lied and waited. He protected the field patiently, daring to hope.

Sakumo kept constant vigil over the field and eventually Kakashi had given out a loud whine and split from a stalk of corn. His father had always joked Kakashi had so many heads because it was like the multiple cornels on a cob.

Now Kakashi found himself in a similar position of his father, but this time he was protecting something he himself had nearly killed through his neglect.

Shaking his heads, Kakashi trotted back into the cavern. The slugs had done what they could, and now Sakura lied in a glow of her own healing ability. Whining and snuffling, Kakashi moved closer to wrap around her closer than before.

.

Kakashi had been sitting outside, trying to decide what to do with the claw he had taken with him, when Guy and Lee appeared. Guy had tears streaming down his face, and Lee looked downtrodden himself.

Kakashi did not need to hear what had happened but Guy confirmed it all the same: Obito had taken his own life.

They left him to grieve in peace, and Kakashi stared dumbly at nothing. He would never be able to give back his eye, would never be able to see that idiot grin from ear to ear, or trick Obito into teleporting in to the middle of an ocean. Kakashi would never again see his best friend who had been with him nearly all of his existence.

But now Obito was with Rin, where they could finally reunite. It was seen as disgraceful for a god to take their own life, but Kakashi thought it also brave. His father had done it after disgracing himself and his legacy; Rin had sacrificed herself before she hurt anyone; Obito had decided to follow his one love.

It still did not comfort Kakashi, or make him feel any better about it. They and still all left him.

For the first time, Kakashi cried in his lesser form. When his Father and Rin had passed he had howled with all his voices to the moon, but this time he felt too weak. Kakashi felt utterly drained from giving Sakura so much of his strength in so little time, and then now of taking on all these emotions.

As Kakashi went back to attend to Sakura, he continued to openly weep. He lied down and stared up at the ceiling of roots, hoping that maybe Sakura's mother could help heal him as well.

"Kakashi," he heard Sakura whisper, and he looked over to see that she had her eyes open; she had awoken from her healing hibernation.

"Sakura," he said, and was nearly overtaken with the sudden want to hold her. To feel that she, too, would not leave him. That he was not as utterly alone as he felt.

She smiled at him before turning to face him, reaching out with a silent invitation. Kakashi didn't think twice as he moved closer to her, resisting the strong urge to crush her body against his. To feel their auras intermingle into something new and amazing.

Instead Kakashi held onto Sakura gently, face tucked into her neck.

.

Despite how she had awoken to offer Kakashi comfort, it still took a little bit longer for Sakura to fully heal and rise. No one knew just how long she had been at Kakashi's temple, but it must have been a long time if her injuries had taken this long to fully heal.

As Sakura finally got up and started moving, and then sparring with him, and then easily defeating him, Kakashi knew everything was suddenly different.

He could feel something pull when he looked at her, and she responded back to his gaze with a bright smile. True to his promise, Kakashi did not show himself to mortals anymore, and watched from afar as Sakura became more and more prominent. He explained that she had been taken advantage of because she was not being authoritative enough with them: as she literally put her foot down, mortals soon began bending to her will.

Unlike with him, they seemed to remember just how intelligent and crafty she was. Intellects, warriors and healers alike prayed to her with honest, innocent devotion. Her following was not as instantaneous or intense as Kakashi's, but she was slowly growing and gaining a reputation.

He and his father, and Tsunade before them, had always been reverared in fear and terror. But Sakura brought a soft touch to it, and Kakashi found himself mesmerized to try and better understand how that was.

"I don't think my figure is really that curvaceous," Sakura said absently as they stared at one of the first statues of her made. Kakashi knew it would soon be one of many. Not to mention paintings, plays and literature. There was sure to be a plethora of material about her soon; maybe it was time Kakashi started reading again.

"Do you know how inconvenient it would be to have that chest? Tsunade told me all about it and how her armor needed to have special measurements. I bet Tenten is happy I'm not that difficult."

"You should have seen the first statues of me," Kakashi hummed in response. "They get better in time. At least they know what you face looks like and will not invent ridiculous ideas about it like they had with me."

But soon enough they were forgoing Sakura's armor altogether and going into the inevitable naked phase. Kakashi could barely manage to stop her from rampaging. It would not do well to let her destroy a following she had taken thousands of years and countless battles to foster.

Still, internally, Kakashi commended the artists for their enticing interpretations.

.

It seemed that it was only mortal days since Kakashi had first laid eyes on Sakura, and not the nearly ten thousand years. Now the time for when they would separate was fast approaching.

Soon the induction ceremony would happen and Kakashi would be forced to leave this world to travel to one of past generations. Hokages could come and go easily, and it was not impossible for Kakashi to return for a visit, but they would be rare and brief. There, in that abstract place, Kakashi would live out the rest of eternity with those he cared about. Well, except for his Father, Obito and Rin: the three people he truly desired to see.

During the days at Sakura's mother tree, where he had time to think, Kakashi had decided on two things.

First, that he cared for Sakura; that affection had only grown through the thousands of years until he now felt nothing but all-consuming love. Second, that he would take his own life after Sakura's induction.

Kakashi decided it would be too painful to be forever suspended between two realms where those he loved existed. He could not exist in this realm as Sakura was to take his place, so he would choose his Father and friends over an existence of solitude.

Oh, Obito was surely laughing at him now: lovesick worse than he had ever been. Not only had Kakashi followed Obito's advise and opened himself up to another, no, he had gone ahead and fallen in love.

And then Sakura told him something that crushed any remaining doubt.

"It was deemed that Sasuke and I are fit to become one."

Kaksashi remembered during the beginnings of her training how obsessed Sakura had been about bringing Sasuke courting gifts, seemingly already enamored with him. While Kakashi had never seen their favoring of each other affirmed lately, they got along reasonably well.

Kakashi himself had resisted the advances of Anko. He had never felt the pull, and Kakashi resigned himself from the assignment. While some positions were pressed into certain pairings, if either of the gods did not feel reason to follow it, the union did not need to happen.

All consuming, true love was almost nonexistent with the gods. Yes, there were strong kinship and friendship loves. But any form of romantic affection were from matches of convenience, where they were trained to compliment and live in cohabitation, just like this one with Sasuke. Truly, Kakashi was gifted from above with this ultimate gift of agony, this pain and pull of his entire being to Sakura.

And that was just the problem: Kakashi knew love was not meant to be ignored, but he had no inkling if Sakura returned his feelings. It would unbearable if she did not feel the same, but decided to be with him out of pity for their short amount of time left.

No, it was better to remain silent and let her find peace with Sasuke since he would be able to actually stay with her. Kakashi was used to suffering, what was adding love? Now he fully understood how eager Obito was to leave this all behind.

"Congratulations," Kakashi said as he smiled at her beneath his mask. "I can see the sensuous art already."

They had always loved poking fun at the subject, and seeing her not even smile made Kakashi's smile wither into a frown. She just stared blankly at him before turning away. Kakashi never thought he'd see defeat on the goddess of victory.

"You'll get used to it. Anko and I never cohabitated, but you and Sasuke I believe can be at least content.

"You know best, Kakashi-sensei," she answered morosely.

"You should stop calling me that. You are now my equal in strength and ability. At the coronation you will finally be able to put this old dog out of his misery and rise above."

Sakura gazed emptily at him and gave another sad smile that had Kakashi worrying. He lifted a hand, intent on ruffling her hair playfully, before it fell back down in to his lap uselessly.

.

Kakashi stood with the other gods patiently, the gift he would give Sakura held tightly between his hands.

It was his scarf, which had been his father's. It had protected both of them against injury from lesser gods and creatures too many times to count. It would serve her well, and would perfectly match with her already red-accented armor. Kakashi wanted it to keep her safe since he himself could not anymore. To know that at least a part of Kakashi, no matter how small, continued on with her was a great comfort.

Naruto was the only one who would not join the customary celebration, as he had already succeeded Obito in necessity after his passing. The blond had solemnly accepted the man's sorrow as reason enough and deemed it ungodly for anyone to speak ill of him. Not that anyone would: everyone had loved the dark-haired Hokage's antics.

"Have you heard from Sakura about our newer-selves' union?" Anko asked, bringing Kakashi back to the present. "It's a shame we never were together. But I think this generation will do us good. Those mortals do so love it when we predictably pair up."

Kakashi rested the urge to tear her head off with his bare hands; it would only do to make Anko spring two more.

Thankfully the new gods and goddesses started entering before Anko could bother Kakashi further. Their heads and youthful faces were held up high, ready to finally take their rightful places they had been promised. Kakashi lazily watched everyone, and then noticed with a jolt that Sakura had not entered with them.

Immediately fearing the worst, Kakashi remembered back to when she'd been captured and almost involuntarily burst into his true form. Kakashi had to find her, he just _had_ to.

Then she entered, but not in the ceremonial garb made of pure, white energy. Instead, she was wearing her armor and her entire front was coated in blood.

Guy dropped his wrist cuffs he would give to Lee with a clatter. Everyone else stared in equal parts shock and disbelief. Because behind Sakura's blood-soaked figure were the past five supreme rulers. Tsunade had a wide grin on her face and was the only one seemingly uninjured.

"I demand to be heard," Sakura said, the Hokages' blood still dripping from her armor and creating lesser sprits that drifted down to the material world.

She stared down everyone before focusing her eyes directly on Kakashi. He blinked, not knowing what to do or how to react.

"I love Kakashi. I demand that he remain here with me to rule together."

Everyone's eyes moved in near synchronization to stare at Kakashi. His fingers gripped the scarf in his hands tightly, feeling his chest expand in something entirely foreign.

"Kakashi?" the first and ultimate creator (who looked like an eye punched in) asked with a wide smile. "How do you respond?"

"I already do, and would continue to, adore you with every part of my being," Kakashi answered truthfully.

Kakashi had not wanted to get in the way of her union with Sasuke like he had gotten in the way of her taking his place. Kakashi had worried he would cause her more grief and pain, but now he understood that it was just the opposite. Unlike him, Sakura had been brave enough in her resolve to demand what she desired.

"So it is decreed," Tsunade said as the other Hokages gave their muttering affirmations. Four turned to return to their world (Tsunade flashing a thumbs-up to Kakashi), but Minato stayed and went to Naruto, where they laughed about his beat-up persona before hugging.

Kakashi felt himself move closer to the one who had defied everything and everyone, including Kakashi himself. Sakura attacked the doubts of her feelings and past Hokages and had come out not only alive, but the victor. Kakashi did not believe it possible, but maybe her love for him was bigger than his for her. Kakashi would try everything to remedy that.

The king of war and wisdom stopped before his queen and silently wrapped the scarf around her neck.

"So I might have done something a little crazy. Like sneak-attack the Hokages," Sakura said as she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "But all I knew was even though you always refused to show me your face, I couldn't imagine even a mortal day without seeing you."

"Even with my eyes, I have been blind," Kakashi said as he leaned eagerly into her hand. She could smite him where he stood if she wanted, but instead she just brushed her thumb back and forth comfortingly.

"Always the dramatic one," Sakura said with a laugh.

"Said the romantic who wants to reign with me," Kakashi coupled.

And as he stood there, basking in Sakura's affections, Kakashi finally understood why there were so many wars waged over love.

* * *

><p><span>Some clarification<span>: Other than Kakashi/Sakura as Minerva/Athena, the others were not very accurate but in my mind were: Obito/Naruto = Jupiter/Zeus; Anko/Sasuke = Venus/Aphrodite; Guy/Lee = Hermes/Mercury; Asuma/Shikamaru = Apollo; Hana/Kiba = Artemis/Diana; Tenten = Vulcan/Hephaestus.

Posted: 9.26.2014 (Edited 9.30.2014)


	2. 2014 KakaSaku Week

A note: In celebration of this year's KakaSaku week (I'm late, yes, I know), I'm doing all the prompts in one go here with cutesy little 500 word drabbles. All AU ideas are mine, although some are fairly stereotypical.

* * *

><p><span>Seven Special Edition Scenarios: 2014 KakaSaku Week<span>

.

_Day 1: Secret - Pirate AU_

"I gotta admit, I've never seen anyone, much less a pirate, with pink hair before."

Despite being on her hands and knees scrubbing the deck, Sakura jumped a few inches off the wood and turned to see the captain staring down at her. His hair was as animated as always, his mask and eyepatch secure. At his feet sat his trusty pug, no doubt his other dogs off bothering the remaining crew with their uncontrollable antics.

"It's not the worst," Sakura muttered haplessly, floundering on what to say to the tall man.

Sakura thought about the days when her hair had been longer, softer. Still, she had no problem sheering it all off, and binding her breasts (which hadn't been a problem at all really), to run away after her two best friends.

She was actually looking for Tsunade's ship, knowing she had connections to Jiraiya's and Orochimaru's ships where Naruto and Sasuke had gone off to. There Sakura could also freely be a woman without fear of being hauled over to drown from bringing bad luck. Truthfully she was only using this ship to try and intercept Tsunade, then jump to the other side.

But of course that was before she'd finally caught sight of their aloof Captain Kakashi. She had watched him from afar on the few weeks she had been on this ship. She noticed his dedication for his crew-mates and dogs, and his ruthless, beautiful ability in battle.

"I feel that it creates quite the target for you," he continued to say. "But I saw on that last raid that you can easily take care of yourself. I've never really seen someone handle two axes of that weight so effortlessly."

"It was a passion of mine ever since I was young," Sakura said, remembering all the weapons practice she'd done with Naruto and Sasuke in preparation for the day when they'd run away. Oh, Sakura was going to _hurt_ them for leaving her behind.

"I'm a little surprised, given your slight frame," Kakashi said, eye narrowing as he rubbed his masked chin.

Sakura had always been a bit thin, and she knew it made her look feminine just as much as her soft face. Could he see through that despite all the bulky layers she wore?

"Anyways, I just wanted to officially welcome you to the ship," he said, raising a hand.

Scurrying to stand, Sakura whipped off her soapy hands on her pants before lifting it to shake his hand.

"And what a soft hand as well," Kakashi said as he raised it closer to his face in inspection.

His sole dark eye focused on her intently again, and Sakura suddenly just knew that he knew she was a fraud. That she wasn't really a boy and he was going to throw her overboard and-

But what the handsome Captain actually did was more shocking: he kissed her knuckles lightly.

Parting with a wink, Kakashi left Sakura to stare after him with her mouth agape.

_._

_Day 2: Demons - Shoulder angel and demon on the same person AU_

"Admit it: he likes me better," Sakura said with a grin, green eyes glimmering mischievously as her short pink hair flitted lightly about her face.

"I will admit no such thing," Kakashi said as he looked away from her to his harp in his hand. He had been attempting to practice, for when Naruto needed to hear a song of calm in a moment of chaos, but then of course Sakura had to show up.

"If anything, he is under the misbelief that one day you two will be together," Kakashi continued to say.

"Yeah, I feel almost bad for him. But then I remember I'm a demon," she said with a cackle that made Kakashi sigh.

Heaven had sent him on to this charge because the blond was pinnacle in the fate of the realm below: Naruto was the chosen one, and needed to be guided on the righteous path. Apparently Hell thought the same, but that his success was through a very different road. They had sent their best as well: the deceptively sweet, beautiful demon Sakura who was nothing like the flower she'd been named after.

While Kakashi urged to show Naruto what it was to be patient and just, Sakura wanted him to steam roll ahead with dumb luck and power. Kakashi thought mercy was the best course while she said it was for the weak of heart.

"But you know," Sakura commented as she came closer to him, sensuous in her tight outfit of red, "There's really no rules against demons and angels being together."

Kakashi felt his silver wings behind him ruffle in agitation before he said: "Probably because no one has been foolish enough to test it."

"You've honestly never seen me as an option?" Sakura asked, sliding up against him.

Shivering, Kakashi moved away.

"I know you read those special little books whenever you can," Sakura said as she kept advancing, her head and horns down as if she was going to stampede over him. "You're not the perfect little angel you pretend to be for Naruto."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kakashi denied quickly. He had been careful about his reading, gosh darn it.

"Show me that heavenly face only a select few are allowed to see and I'll show you anything you want in return. _Anything_."

Kakashi moved further away from her, nearly at the edge of Naruto's right shoulder, before turning around and scowling.

"I've seen the way you fret when Naruto's hurt. You genuinely care about him in a way demons never do."

Sakura ducked her head, a bitter frown on her pretty face.

"So what? We're both frauds?" she asked, a hand on a cocked hip.

"Well, maybe then it wouldn't be that ridiculous if I did have… some sort of attachment to you," Kakashi admitted shyly.

"Oh _thank God_! Here I thought i was the only one!"

Before Kakashi could comment on her choice of phrase, she was crushing her lips against his.

_._

_Day 3: He said, She said - Hogwarts AU_

Professor Hatake looked from Sakura, one of his best students, across to the slytherin boy who didn't seem to be able to sit still.

"Sakura, you say that this boy cursed Naruto and Sasuke before attempting to haul them away. Your story goes against just that," Kakashi spoke, eye focusing on the boy who wouldn't meet his gaze.

Sakura nodded, her pink hair and blue tie animately moving as well.

Kakashi hummed before saying: "Fifty points from Slytherin. You are dismissed."

The boy opened his mouth to argue, but Kakashi silenced him with a look. The boy skulked off, but not before giving a glare to the ravenclaw girl.

"What was this really about, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, resisting the urge to lift his eyepatch to rub his tired eyes.

"Naruto and Sasuke are best friends," Sakura said to start. "A bunch of the slytherins don't understand or like it. I think that boy was trying to do something about it."

Kakashi hummed.

"I get that gryiffindors and slytherins have never gotten along famously but, well, I just don't get it all that much!"

"You more than most should know that sometimes people are just plain stupid."

This finally managed to get out a laugh from the smart girl, and Kakashi felt himself smile underneath his mask. He dismissed her as well, watching as her bright head of hair disappeared.

Kakashi didn't think much of the incident until a month later when it was now Naruto and Sasuke sitting in his office. Apparently it was Sakura this time who had been attacked, and they'd used a curse only those advanced in dark arts magic (like him, begin the Dark Arts Professor) would have the ability to be proficient in.

They refused to talk about it, and Kakashi sighed at their immaturity before going to see Sakrua at the infirmary. Shizune gave him a smile before leaving him and a sulking Sakura alone.

"I heard from your friends about what happened. I didn't know you were so interested in the dark arts, Sakura. Yes, I know that they couldn't have figure it out themselves and that you taught them it."

"I just wanted them to be able to protect themselves."

Kakashi reached forward and ruffled her hair playfully; she pawed him away.

"I'm fine. I'm one of your best students, aren't I?"

"The best, and I don't even teach you," Kakashi said with a smile.

The professor watched as Sakura grew from up through the years, acing anything she came across with confidence few students had at her age. She got Shizune's job even before she graduated, clearly proficient in healer magic. Kakashi was glad she wouldn't be leaving.

As everyone excitedly congratulated each other after graduation, Sakura approached him. Before Kakashi had time to get in a word, she leaned up and kissed him over the mask.

Everyone stopped and stared, but Sakura carried on obliviously.

"Hello there, Kakashi," she said with a grin, dropping his title.

"_Hello_ nurse!" he answered.

_._

_Day 4: Cat and Dog - Neighboring pets AU_

Kakashi trotted onto the grass lightly, tail held high and a grin on his furry face. But that soon changed as he noted the neighbors' atrocity of a pet was outside as well.

There was the stereotype that cats and dogs did not get along, and they were no different.

Feeling that the outside sun was just too good to resist, Kakashi hopped up onto one of the lawn chairs and curled into a comfortable ball. Yet it didn't take two minutes before he felt a cold nose nudge at him. He swatted out a paw in defense.

"Ow! What was that for you stupid cat?!"

"I could ask the same of you- sniffing where you don't belong, idiot dog."

Kakashi had spent years as an alley cat before finally deciding to stay with his black-haired owner who didn't seem to care that his hair was more than a little manic and he only had one eye.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Sakura whined as she pawed at her muzzle; Kakashi noted he'd gotten her good, as blood beaded up over her the fur on her snout. "You didn't have to attack me," she said with a self-righteous, deafening bark.

"Typical dog, thinking everything is about them."

"At least I'm not a typical aloof cat like you who doesn't care that others worry about them. All you do is skulk off and spend hours grooming your hair, but it looks as crazed as ever."

Standing and arching his back, Kakashi said with a hiss: "At least I can take care of myself and my coat isn't some short-haired disgrace!"

Sakura gave a high-pitched whine before turning away, tail tucked between her legs. Her usually perked ears lay flat against her head as she retreated back over the short fence into her own lawn.

Kakashi scoffed before settling back down himself, thinking that he wouldn't allow that dumb canine to get to him. What did she know about being a cat? Yes, he was solitary and did what he wanted, but that was his nature.

Just as, Kakashi supposed, Sakura's nature was to be loving, caring and a little overbearing over everything.

Sighing, he stood up and made his way over to the other lawn, easily vaulting over the fence like her. He found her under the shade of a tree, failing at licking her wounds. Maybe they didn't have to be mortal enemies.

"Need help?" Kakashi asked as he approached, furry tail twitching in nerves.

Big eyes focused on him for a moment before she huffed and bravely placed her face close to him.

Some hours later, their owners Naruto and Sasuke came back to find that their pets weren't engaging a life-or-death fight, but rather cozily curled up against each other. They could hear Kakashi's purr from feet away.

"I thought that they hated each other," Naruto said as in confusion.

"I used to hate you, but here we are," Sasuke said with a shrug.

_._

_Day 5: Heat Wave - Caught eating a banana sensuously AU_

Kakashi knew who the new doctor at their university was - who _didn't_? Even the fresh-off-the-high-school-boat freshmen knew Sakura.

Not only was she gorgeous with her pastel hair and spring eyes, she had the nicest laugh and seemed truly kind hearted. Kakashi cursed his near perfect health despite pushing forty.

When Kakashi had gone to the cafe for an early coffee and last minute grading before his 8:30 class, he noted that Doctor Haruno was here as well. Only a few other students, wide-eyed and clearly up for over twenty-four hours, were around.

Kakashi ordered a black coffee, pushed up his scarf higher, and tried to focus on grading. He hadn't sat at this table and angle to be able to watch the pretty doctor. Of course not.

He glanced up at Sakura again and noted that she had started unpeeling a banana. _Oh no_. It was too early in the morning for this.

Kakashi found himself unable to turn away as she placed the fruit in her mouth, lips pouting out before biting down. Kakashi kept watching her, knowing this was entirely inappropriate but being entirely unable to look away. Especially when Sakura seemed to forget it was in her mouth, and she just held it there for much too long.

Just as she was taking the last bite and finally release Kakashi of this torment, her eyes looked in to his sole black one. He blinked before snapping his eyes back down to the forgotten papers below him.

Great; just _fantastic_. He couldn't just have played it cool, but had and of course now she would know he had been watching like a true pervert and _oh no_ he really liked his job here since he got to wear a scarf so much during the year and-

"Good morning, Professor Hatake. I don't believe we've met."

Jolting out of his seat at the voice, Kakashi barely managed to save his cup of now-cold coffee from spilling over half-hearted essays from students already tired of the semester. He looked down at Sakura in dread.

"D-Dr. Haruno, good morning," Kakashi stumbled to say and stand up straight. He stared stupidly at her offered hand before remembering basic manners and shaking it.

"Do you mind if I sit? I want to know all about the eccentric one-eyed, ex-marine, and chronically late English professor with eight dogs."

Kakashi chuckled uneasily, still refusing to look at her and wondering how his scarf suddenly felt suffocating in this air-conditioned cafe. Still, Kakashi didn't refuse her, and soon after a couple of near-false starts from a blushing and stumbling Kakashi, they were talking animately.

Looking at his watch, Kakashi realized with a start he was going to be late. And by late, he meant over half an hour later.

"I'm sorry I distracted you," Sakura said as she stood to leave as well.

"No, it's fine, it's-"

Realizing what she'd just implied, Kakashi turned to her and gaped, face flushing up again as Sakura winked.

_._

_Day 6: Through New Eyes - Eyepatch buddies AU_

"Sakura Haruno?"

A pink head of hair turned to Kakashi in shock, her one green eye wide. He saw it focus immediately on his eyepatch, while his sole eye focused on how half her face was covered in a bandage centered around her right eye.

"You must be Kakashi," she said, a hesitant smile on her face.

"Your friend Naruto tracked me down for Tsunade, and who was I to refuse our Hokage?" he continued to say from the doorway of the hospital room.

"I bet he made really bad jokes about you needing to come 'see me,' or to 'keep an eye on me.'"

"It just reaffirmed that my choice to never go into teaching was the right decision," Kakashi said with a shrug as he entered the room, slouch ever present and hands remaining in his hands as he walked forward.

"I told her I don't need any help. That I'll figure it out myself," Sakura said with a huff as he approached her left side. "And I don't, as Naruto would say, need help 'looking through life in a different way' from now on."

Kakashi was silent as he approached the chair aside her and sat down. She sounded angry, and he understood the feeling.

"I'm going to be just fine," she continued to say petulantly, her face scrunched up in stubbornness.

"Of this, I have no doubt. I'm almost confused how our second-best medic couldn't heal herself."

Sakura shrugged one shoulder absently before saying: "The enemy reached right into the socket and ripped the entire thing out, then crushed it. I can't heal what's not there anymore."

"They cut mine right down the middle," Kakashi shared. "I almost had my friend's in exchange, but there was no time."

Sakura was silent for a moment before reaching up, her hand settling over where her eye had once been.

"Does the eyepatch get annoying? I feel like I'll never get used to it."

"You will. And now I'll have a second member of my 'Everyday is Pirate Day' club!"

Seeing her so down (or maybe Kakashi was just as bad at making jokes as her blond friend), Kakashi lifted his hand to put on hers. Sakura jolted for the second time, her single green eye focusing back on him.

"How about when you get discharged in a few hours from now, I take you out to dinner? We can further talk about how easily it is to hone your other senses to make up for your new blind-spot. I know you're well past the need for a teacher, but I would still like to teach you so you're not vulnerable."

Sakura looked down at their joint hands and blushed prettily, and it made Kakashi's resolve strengthen.

"Naruto would say we already make a great pair of eyes when put together, why not also a great pair of people?"

This caused her to finally smile up at him.

"Alright. I would like that," Sakura answered, squeezing Kakashi's hand lightly.

_._

_Day 7: Vacation - Mermaid savior AU_

As Sakura coughed out what felt like gallons of seawater, she second-guessed her decision to come out here.

Tsunade had ordered her to take some time off, and Sakura decided it'd been a while since she'd seen the ocean. So she rented a small, secluded cottage to spend some warm days in. Today she had decided to finally take a swim, only to get caught in a riptide and nearly drown. And then she got saved by a mermaid.

"Mermaids are real," she croaked, throat soar from coughing and the salt water.

"Obviously I'm a mer_man_."

She stared at him lazing on the sand. Sakura noted the mismatched eyes, the silver hair and similarly colored tail. His scales glittered beautifully in the midday sun. But also-

"Why are you wearing clam shells?"

"It's disgraceful how the men of your species don't cover up. And if not, then why is it that women are forced to? If you're going to have nudity, at least make it equal," he said, gills on his ribs flaring and fins twitching.

"I'm, uh, Sakura," she said after a beat of silence.

"Kakashi," he answered before he pushing himself back into the ocean.

Sakura wanted to call out to him, but Kakashi seemed intent on leaving and Sakura was still a little too shell-shocked to do much else but watch as his silver scales and hair shimmered in the shallow waters before disappearing.

The next few days Sakura sat on the beach, waiting for Kakashi to reappear. Finally, as she wondered if she was threatening herself with skin cancer over a merman, she saw his spiky hair (that apparently went against gravity and water alike) appear out from the surface.

"I've been waiting for you to come back!"

Kakashi hauled himself up on the wet sand aside of her and stared silently for a moment before saying: "I saw you waiting."

"I just want to talk. I promise."

He hummed before saying: "I've been wanting to ask you a question as well. How is it that you have the colorings akin to corals and reef fish? I have never seen a human so vibrant."

"I just am the way I am."

Kakashi stared at her, eyes intense, before reaching over and putting a hand on her upper-thigh. Yelping, Sakura slapped it away.

"Ask first! Do you not have manners underwater?"

"You can touch my scales in return. I saw the way you stared when I saved you."

Blushing, Sakura couldn't deny that.

Kakashi reached over again and pulled her close. Sakura shivered as his hands played over her skin; she thought she heard Kakashi mutter 'beautiful' and 'marvelous' but she was unsure.

"Your turn," Kakashi said as he flicked his lower body closer to her, back fins nearly slapping her in the face.

Sakura eagerly reached forward and brushed her hands along his silvery sides gently.

"Simply amazing," Sakura said in awe.

"Please, do go on," Kakashi said with a grin and playful spray of saltwater.

* * *

><p>Word Count: 500 words each; 3,500 words total<br>Posted: 10.1.2014


	3. In the Universe of Colors

Scenario Two: In the Universe of Colors

_An AU where for your entire life you've only seen black and white, until you receive the first touch from your soulmate and color blooms before your very eyes. The colors don't stay when you're alone, but when they're there by your side and you're touching? Everything is beautiful._

_Followed by:_

_But what if you touch them and you look around and see all the colors, and beauty. You get caught in the moment and ask 'Do you see it too?' And they reply 'What are you talking about?'_

__-_ found from the tumblr _none-gavin_  
><em>

.

Kakashi had long accepted the fact that he would never see those colors every star-crossed lover spoke in reverence about.

His father told him it was like waking up in to a whole new, better world. No longer was everything in crisp black and white, or the myriad of grays between. Everything seemed alive with vibrance that had nothing to do with its size and shape.

Kakashi did not think he wanted it; even with the knowledge of seeing beyond, Sakumo still lost his wife. Still lost himself to shame and forgot who he was, until he finally ended his life himself. Kakashi remembered how before the end, his father would gaze at everything with longing. His son still wondered whether he missed his wife or the colors she brought in to his life more.

But it was alright, because Kakashi lived in a world of war and suffering and lots of people lived without ever seeing one color. There were other things to worry about than seeing just how ridiculous the colors of your belongings and outfits were (another thing that did not matter for Kakashi: he wore all black except for his flak vest that was apparently a dull thing called 'green.')

He did not need color to appreciate his favorite book, dogs, or Mr. Ukki as he stood resolutely in his window. He had lived nearly thirty years, surviving assassinations and mortal wounds. Kakashi could live without new sight.

But then everything changed when he got assigned a small girl at the young age of twelve.

.

"You're not holding your wrist at the right angle," Kakashi said with a sigh.

Nearby Sasuke was easily hitting the target each time; Naruto was glaring daggers at him and attempting to win through quantity rather than quality. As in: he was inexpertly chuckling way too many kunai for Kakashi to want to deal with. This all meant that only the slight girl was left for him to focus on.

"Would you just show me then?" she asked in a huff as she stomped her leg, long hair fluttering lightly in the breeze.

Sighing again, and not bothering to move his book away from his face, Kakashi walked forward and stood aside of her. She looked way up to him, big clear eyes open and expectant.

"Grip it like you would throw it. "

Kakashi leaned over and grabbed her hand in his to readjust the angle of her wrist, and suddenly he could see the green grass. He felt his book fall and gaped at it before looking up to the sky, where a blue so comforting it seemed to envelope him. He could see the vibrancy of Naruto's blond hair and his orange jumpsuit, the cool blue of Sasuke's shirt. Finally his eye drifted down to the small girl before her.

She had the brightest pink hair imaginable and when she looked up to him in confusion, a green akin to the grass shined back up at him.

"Kakashi-sensei? What's wrong?" she asked, and he watched as two small (so _colorful)_ eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

She acted as if nothing was different; Kakashi let go with a jolt. The green of the grass and blue of the sky dimmed to a pale imitation of their true colors.

"Try it now."

Sakura threw the kunai and it hit dead center. She turned up to him with a wide ear-to-ear grin, green eyes sparkling.

.

Kakashi made it a very clear point to not touch Sakura.

Through the year that she was under him, he never made skin-on-skin contact with her ever again. He as an aloof teacher to begin with, so none of his three students took offense that he withheld touching them in any shape or form.

Quickly the colors faded away back in to the monotone of gray, except for her hair and eyes. No matter how close or far he stayed from her, those two colors on her remained. And it was not like he saw those two shades anywhere else. No, it was only Sakura and Sakura alone.

For days and months Kakashi was confused and angered. He had finally found his soulmate: his weakest student. But Sakura had not reacted the same as him: either because she was not old enough to reciprocate the feelings, or because she would never feel the same about him. Kakashi was hesitant to know.

He did not argue against Sakura when she left to train under Tsunade and he saw her less and less.

.

Years later, Kakashi looked down at Sakura on the rocky surface of a broken battlefield.

Her arm was red with slight singe marks, and she had heavy, dark circles under her eyes. While her face remained peaceful in her (hopefully not) eternal slumber, Kakashi knew that it was just a mirage.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I tried," Kakashi voiced with a frown. In this battle it had been unavoidable that he would have to touch her, and he finally had time to contemplate over it.

He held onto those moments of colorful clarity with a passion. Despite all this calamity of this final fight against gods and friends alike, Kakashi had never been exposed to the colors for so long. He had thought the sharingan's influence would leave him woozy, but this was making him feel lightheaded as well.

Kakashi's fingers reached forward to grasp around her hand.

He sat there, barely remembering to blink, as he watched Sakura breathe. He thought that maybe he should go help Naruto, but he had no place in that fight. Kakashi knew where he needed to be: here, aside this girl. A girl who he had turned away from one day and looked back only to find a strong kunoichi.

Despite how much she had grown, it was clear she was still someone who adored Sasuke and not him.

What felt like days later, she woke with a jolt, and Kakashi saw her green eyes once again. He sighed in relief and moved to let go of her hand.

But her grip was strong and he looked at her, silently asking for an explanation.

"Sasuke? Naruto?" she asked out brokenly, voice hoarse.

Kakashi shook his head, and she let go of his hand and closed her eyes. Kakashi ignored the familiar jolt of disappointment that she could still not see the colors like him and stood up to investigate how everyone else was faring.

.

Kakashi absently wandered down the busy market street, nose buried deep in his favorite series and bumping in to a new person every few seconds. It was a hot summer and short-sleeves were a necessity, but he still winced as as other people' sticky skin brushed his.

A moment later, his eyes were distracted from the lines of ink as he saw a flash of pink and green. Sakura was talking animately aside of Naruto, their fingers laced together in a clear sign of their affection for the other. He thought Naruto's face would split from how wide his smile was.

Wondering if he could make it to that side alley, and deciding that he could not, Kakashi kept his course clear. It would mean that they would probably bump against him. But by the look of their smiles, they were too distracted with each other to notice an old ex-sensei. He had held Sakura's hand for hours during the war and she had woken up none the wiser to seeing any of the colors like him. It was not going to happen.

Kakashi was not surprised at the surge of color as her forearm brushed against his, just as he was not surprised when the color started to immediately drain.

He was surprised, however, when he felt a hand clamp down on his forearm harshly, forcing Kakashi to turn to Sakura. Her eyes were wide, mouth agape as she stared at him.

Kakashi realized she had seen anew.

"Kakashi-sensei…"

"Is something the matter, Sakura?" Kakashi asked lightly. She had let go of Naruto's hand, and the blond boy stared between the two of them in confusion.

"Don't you-" she cut herself off, grip tightening on his forearm to the point of pain. He would have a bruise later, and he wondered if the colors would stay long enough this time to see the bleedings of blue, purple and yellow.

"You're not making any sense, Sakura. You need to be more precise," Kakashi said, using ever bit of will to keep his voice steady.

While Sakura had finally seen him, it that did not matter anymore.

Because so what if she had finally noticed: she was with Naruto and they were happy. Bright, vibrant, beautiful Sakura did not need Kakashi and his dull presence. Even if he could provide her with colors, he could not offer much else. He was an old, jaded man compared to the chosen, bright-as-his-golden-hair Naruto before her. Naruto could smile at her everyday, love her everyday with that childish innocence he had never lost and Kakashi had been born without.

"You really don't…" she drifted off, green eyes searching his own. Kakashi briefly wondered if his eyes and hair had any color or if they were as black and white as they appeared.

"Nothing," she said morosely as she finally let go of his forearm.

Naruto gave a warm hello and parting before he grabbed Sakura's hand back in his and they continued on their way. Kakashi turned and went away as well, refusing to turn around even when he felt Sakura's gaze on his back.

"What was that about?" he heard Naruto ask Sakura.

Kakashi quickly made himself scarce before he could hear Sakura's answer.

.

Kakashi's vision blurred before him, and he wondered if it was because of the tears or an effect of the poison.

"Please, please, please," he heard a soft voice whisper aside of him. He forced his head to turn and saw Sakura in all her red eyes and manic hair glory.

"Hello, Sakura," he said softly before coughing out what felt like a gallon of blood.

"Don't talk, Kakashi," she said sternly as she focused on his chest that had been partially caved in from the enemy. He noted that she was crying just like him; he watched the clear liquid trail down her flushed cheeks that were freckled with dried, rusty blood.

Kakashi knew that nothing good would have come from their joint two-man mission. They had been chosen because their skills complimented each other, and they were the only ones skilled enough to get in and out without getting hurt. It seemed that last part only held true for the younger.

He looked around and noted that for the first time, the colors did not seem as vibrant. Here, in this dark forest at night as he lied dying, Sakura was the only color in sight. Kakashi would laugh if he could: it had always been like that. Her, like a lighthouse he watched from afar but did not have the courage to follow. Kakashi forced himself to continue drifting aimlessly, stubbornly ignoring her help and care.

"I'm sorry, for everything."

"I told you to _shut up_," Sakura said before a sob escaped from her throat.

Kakashi smiled and let his eyes close, where the pastel pink of her hair and the harsh jade of her eyes harmonized.

.

Kakashi awoke to see warm, yellow morning light stream through his window. He would recognize this place anywhere: he was back at the hospital. The walls were as white as ever, but as he looked outside, he could see the clear blue skies and colorful buildings.

Frowning, he felt a hand in his and turned to stare down at a messy head of pink hair. Then to the hand that belonged to the person, which was clamped over protectively in his.

Using his free hand, he gently started to pry her fingers off.

"Stop that," Sakura said dryly, and Kakashi stiffened.

Sakura sat up and used her other hand to try and tame her locks of unruly hair. Kakashi remained silent, turning away from her to stare out the window. There were a few bright, cheery red birds near the sill. He wondered if those were the ones his father always missed seeing.

"You can't ignore me anymore. I know you can tell."

Kakashi remained silent.

"Have you always been able to or…?"

Kakashi closed his eyes, willing the colors to go away.

.

Kakashi became incessantly proactive about avoiding Sakura. It helped that he could spot her easily from that spot of pink in a world of drab. She, in turn, left him alone for a week.

And then one day Kakashi found she had broken in to his apartment and was calmly having a cup of green tea when he came in. He stared at her silently, and she turned to him with a smile before speaking.

"In the genjutsu during the war, everything was in color. When I woke up and saw you, I though it was just a lasting effect. You have silver hair and gray eyes, did you know that? It made it seem that nothing had changed."

"Sakura," Kakashi sighed out, going to sit down aside of her at his small table.

"I broke up with Naruto, that day we bumped in to you at the market," Sakura said as she looked down at her hands, her fingers never stopping in their twitching and twisting. "I know… I know he would have loved me with everything he had. I would have been happy. I know that."

Kakashi found that he still had nothing to say, and resolutely kept his eyes fixed on his hands in his lap.

"It's almost funny how I'm the one late for once."

Kakashi closed his eyes.

"Please, Kakashi, would you at least _look_ at me?"

The silver haired man supposed he owed Sakura at least that. As he lifted his head for gray eyes to green, Sakura reached down and grabbed his hand. He watched as her skin became warm, the gray in her shirt bleed away to be replaced by red, and a pink lighter than her hair filled in her lips. She had chosen an orange mug for her tea, and it coupled nicely with the old wooden table.

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, her voice breaking from a hiccuped laugh. "I always thought that if Sasuke would just let me touch him, I would see this. And that maybe if Naruto and I worked at it we could one day see them together."

Kakashi watched her for a moment before sighing. He tightened his grip on Sakura's hand, and she looked down at it in a mixture of shock and awe.

Sakura laughed before throwing herself at him, arms encircling Kakashi's neck and pulling their bodies close in a way that made the colors all around them vibrate and glow even more.

* * *

><p><span>An ending note<span>: I tried to write something sad, but then I couldn't do it. Ha-ah, what a weakness to have.

Posted: 10.3.2014


	4. In the Universe of Farms

A note: I did this idea in my 'Thunder and Lightning' drabble series and I wanted to expand it.

* * *

><p><span>Scenario Three : In the Universe of Farms<span>

_Young Sakura had a farm, and on her farm she had a scarecrow AU_

.

Sakura sighed as she got up with the first rays of sunshine. At the realization that she was awake, Naruto sprung off the bed to begin running around in tight circles. Of course he would step on Sasuke's tail, causing the cat to jump up howling like a banshee and attacking the large golden-retreiver with murderous intent.

"Oh, Sasuke you stop that," Sakura said with a tired sigh of having to deal with their arguments at least three times a day. She reached forward and expertly picked up the cat. The sleek black cat still had his fur spiked up in aggression (although when did he not) and was spitting at a whining Naruto.

"Come on guys, we have a lot to get done like usual," Sakura said as she cradled Sasuke to her chest and continued petting his soft fur to him calm him down. Naruto obediently trotted along behind her, tail wagging.

Sakura was very proud of her farm. It was not anything spectacular, but her parents had left it for her after their passing and she adored the place she had grown up.

Yes, there were struggles. Like with her previous golden-retreiver Minato and his red-setter lady friend had gotten attacked and killed by a fox. They had managed to save and carry back one of their puppies, Naruto, before they had died right there on the front porch side by side.

Or that giant snake that had snuck up on her. Sakura would have surely gotten bitten and died if not for her favorite draft horse. Sarutobi had kicked himself free of the plough and sacrificed himself to trample it and protect the farm. Sakura had grew up and loved that horse, and while her new one named Tsunade was gorgeous, she did not really enjoy working as hard as Sarutobi had. She also got along poorly with Sakura's donkey Jiraiya. She was always kicking the poor thing as it brayed after her, but the idiot always came back to bother her. Sakura hoped one day she would get a mule out of it.

And yes, she lived alone and was fairly separated from society, but she had all the friends and company she needed out here. She told herself everyday that of course she was not lonely and that of course nothing was missing.

After feeding Naruto and Sasuke (and stopping another fight when Naruto tried to steal some of Sasuke's) Sakura pulled her pastel pink hair back into a neat ponytail and got to work. She had to feed the chickens, weed her personal garden, milk the goat and cow, and then head next door. The elderly couple had decided they did not want to have their plot of land anymore and wanted to move into the city to be closer to their children.

Sakura had agreed she would watch over the land in their absence for some monthly money and free use of their land. Today was the day they had agreed to finalize it and give her a list of what needed to be done, and to scope out the land and take whatever she needed. If this worked out, maybe one day she could get the land for herself.

Sakura took in a breath of crisp morning air and looked out at the expanse of her land. If she was going to take on even more land, she needed to get her own fields in perfect working order first.

.

A ragged scarecrow desired the wish to sigh like he had seen those humans do. But, sadly, he was not one and so had the inability to. Because if he was human, he would have swatted off each and every crow from his shoulders and head.

Overall, he did not mind being a scarecrow. He had felt the affection and hope from someone as he was made, willed into existence off of scraps into something much bigger and better. He watched children play in the fields and animals both domesticated and wild cross his path; he enjoyed watching the sun and moon and stars come and go in their rotations.

Yet lately the couple had neglected their fields, allowing them to wither and die. Now he held a pitiful domain of a barren wasteland, himself forgotten and left to the crows.

Now he missed his previous glorious life, and feeling important. Having been made of discarded materials, the scarecrow had always been humble about his homely appearance. But thinking about how threadbare his clothes were, how one of his eyes had been plucked out, and how he was so thin from a lack of fresh straw, he wished he was more handsome. Or at least a little less dusty.

"Hello there, what's this?" he heard behind him.

"I've been looking for a scarecrow," the voice continued to say, now directly in his blind-spot. Then she crept around, and the scarecrow wanted to sigh again, but this time at he sight of her. She was honestly more beautiful than any of the countless days, sunrises or sunsets he had witnessed.

"You're a little beat up, but I can easily fix that," Sakura said as she patted his chest, a good amount of dirt springing out.

.

When she had first picked him up out of the ground and carried him over to a new land and house, the scarecrow had been a little worried. He attended that plight of land for as long as he existed. He did not known anything different.

Then she had stripped him of his frame, straw and clothes. He was thrown into a bucket and scrubbed within an inch of his stitches.

But then she was stuffing him with brand new straw, and cut and nailed him a new support. She dressed him in black pants and shirt, a dull green vest giving a smart look. She took some dried silver grass puffs and put it atop his head for some semblance of hair. She even found a loose button and sewed it on where he had lost his other one (although this button was red and his other was black). For the last touch, she even sewed on a new face. His maker had not given him that that- it had only been two buttons for eyes.

"Well, now I think those crows won't bother you in the least. And I think you deserve a name. How about Kakashi? Not original, I know, but quite fitting!" Sakura said before leaning forward and giving him a light kiss on his forehead.

As she gently put him down to attend to that cat and dog who were always fighting, the scarecrow thought that he could live the rest of his days out in this new place and field with the utmost happiness.

.

And so the days and months passed and Kakashi the scarecrow grew to understand a thing called love. Of course he did not know that was what it was called, but that is what he felt for the pink-haired lass all the same.

Everyday after her chores were done she would come and sit next to him in his new field, a bright green domain of beautiful plants, and talk about her day. In turn Kakashi listened, and wished every time that he could respond.

"Until tomorrow," Sakura said with a pat on his arm before leaving him.

Kakashi always felt this hollow feeling, almost like he was suddenly empty of all his straw, whenever she left him.

.

Sakura got up out of her bed that morning and shivered, rubbing her arms briskly to generate some semblance of heat. Both Naruto and Sasuke were curled up on either side of her, clearly seeking heat from her.

"Looks like it's coming out of fall and into a true winter. It's come a bit early this year. I better start making the necessary preparations," she said to herself before she got out of bed and immediately looked for a warm wool sweater.

That day she started harvesting her crops and planted some winter ones. The cranberries seemed especially adamant this year about showing up all those other summer berries. Realizing she would have to harvest the corn in a month or so, she turned to look at her scarecrow from a distance.

After she fixed him up, Kakashi did a wonderful job keeping away the crows. While she expected him to look at least a little waterlogged after so long in the fields, he only looked livelier every day. She shook her head- thinking a scarecrow looked lively?

Still, Sakura frowned when she realized Kakashi would be standing out there in an empty field once again. She was sure he had seen many winters with the elderly couple next door, but Kakashi just looked so happy here and she wished he did not have to see his field go away when he had to stay.

"I'll tell Kakashi today just so he isn't shocked when it happens," she said to herself, and then shook her head agin. "He's a scarecrow, Sakura. It's already weird that you refer to him by a name and then talk to him everyday. Don't humanize him even more!"

.

"I'm sorry about this," Sakura said with an affectionate pat on Kakashi's arm before she turned to her horse Tsunade and began harvesting the field.

Kakashi watched her work with attention, knowing it would be the last time she would come out in a while. Winter was setting in fast, and he understood her need to harvest the crops so she could go into town and sell them. Then she would get supplies and hole away for months to fight off the winter.

Kakashi would not mind being out here, but he missed his field already and he knew he would miss Sakura even more. He did not expect her to wander out in the middle of blizzards to talk to him like she had all those bright, summer days when she had been tanned and her nose seemed perpetually red.

One morning Sakura went off to the market with her ever-present cat and dog by her side. Behind them Tsunade hauled a huge cart full of corn. Kakashi felt proud that he had given her such a good harvest.

"We'll be right back, my scarecrow! Don't go anywhere I can't follow now!"

Kakashi sighed, since she was doing just that.

.

Kakashi knew something was wrong.

Everything should be just fine. While she had less to attend to, Sakura still bundled up and came out to see him. One day she had given him an old yellow scarf and it had made him feel better, but the comfort did not lasted.

Yes, his field was empty, but that was nothing Kakashi was unaccustomed to during this time of white. So why did he feel so shaky and useless?

Something definitely was wrong, but he had no idea what.

.

Sakura's brow furrowed as she saw her scarecrow was down on the ground in a heap. Had the winds pushed him down? She knew the hardest parts of winter were just around the corner, but she had made sure his frame was secure enough to weather any storm.

Trotting up to him, Sakura nearly sprinted back in retreat when she saw her scarecrow move. Had a wild animal tried to get to him, but he had fallen atop of it? She glanced at Naruto and Sasuke at her side: they were inquisitive, but were not on the offense.

Then she heard a whisper and nearly jumped out of her skin. She thought maybe it had been the wind-but there it was again.

"Sakura…" she heard in a soft, rough tone.

She looked around, but could not hear anything more. Then she heard her name again and- was it coming from the scarecrow? Oh, if some idiot kid had trekked out all the way here in this weather to play a joke on her, she was almost impressed but mainly mad.

"Alright, that's enough, you leave my lovely Kakashi alo-OH!"

Sakura reached down to flip him over, and she did, only to see the scarecrow staring back up at her. His face looked eerily more human than she the comically drawn face she had originally given him. Then the stitches around his mouth moved and she heard again: "Sakura…"

She stared down at the thing, and it started to move in its soft, odd twitches again. She felt a wind whip by and she shivered; oddly enough the scarecrow did too. Frowning, she leaned down to him. It's hand twitch, lifted for a moment, and then fell down.

"I have no idea what's happening or what I'm doing," she said as she reached forward and picked up the scarecrow; he still felt like he was only made of fabric and straw and was quite light. His face seems to turn into her shoulder in comfort, but maybe that was just the sack of straw readjusting.

"Never say nothing exciting happens at my farm," Sakura muttered to herself as she walked back to her house.

.

Kakashi had never felt more happy in all his seasons.

Here he was, sitting next to Sakura by her fire. While she usually just talked at him, this time she was talking _with_ him. He could respond back!

"So- you know me?"

He nodded his head as much as he could.

"And you're my scarecrow- really the same Kakashi from my neighbor's field. Well, obviously not the same, but still- you're my Kakashi?"

Kakashi nodded as avidly as he could again, which was really only one slow nod.

"Well, how about that."

Kakashi wanted to smile, and found that he could, as she continued to study him. While he was perfectly content with just watching her, she spoke again.

"I don't really understand what's happening, but it felt like you have some sort of heartbeat in your chest. Honestly, I'm a little afraid to open you up and go poking around. Anyways, for the moment, I have no idea what to do and winter is coming, so we might as well just wait it out."

Kakashi's smile grew.

"Although, your face is a little scary right now, so how about I get you a mask?"

.

And so days, and then months, passed and Sakura watched in avid fascination as something mighty odd happened to her scarecrow. Because in the beginning of winter Kakashi had seemed very much a scarecrow; now at the end of the season he seemed very much a man.

The puffs of silver grass had turned into actual, unruly silver hair; his eyes had lost their plastic sheen for the shine of actual eyes; his body was no longer made up of discarded feed bags and straw, but skin and bone and muscle. He had cut himself the other day and had _bled_.

But still, Kakashi did not talk. The only word he could say was her name. Any other communication was done with nods and shakes of his head.

He still wore the clothes Sakura had first given him, and it fit his tall figure still in his new form. There were still some moments when he would not know just what to do with his limbs, but he was learning quite fast. It helped that Sakura had nothing better to do during the blizzards than to help refine his motor skills.

Finally, it was warm enough to venture outside and Kakashi seemed to revel in his ability to actually walk around in the snow, to pick it up and taste it and then throw it at Sakura in his excitement for her to experience it.

"Kakashi-be careful," Sakura said before following him outside and latching onto his arm.

He looked down at her and she could see the outline of a smile on his face. He seemed very intent on keeping the mask up, even after Sakura had asked to see his face. Sakura did not understand why, as Kakashi's face no longer seemed to have the the haunted look of stitches come alive.

Soon enough he got cold (he was getting better at understanding his new body) and Sakura forced them back inside. She brewed a pot of tea and they sat at the couch comfortably. Naruto and Sasuke sat on the rug before the fire, contently snuggled up to each other in an odd moment of peace. Only the odd crackle and pop from the logs on the fire made a disturbance in the small, warm house.

Even though Sakura could not see Kakashi's face, she knew he was very happy. As if feeling her gaze, he turned to her and tilted his head in question. Sakura thought that he must have picked up that habit from Naruto.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing really," she said softly before tucking into his side.

Now that she had him around, Sakura finally understood Naruto and Sasuke's constant attempts to get closer to her for warmth. There was nothing like folding yourself into something bigger and instantly feeling safer, guarded.

In response, Kakashi gently wrapped his arms around her.

.

"Would you look at that- it's finally here! Spring! Oh, Kakashi, come and see the tulips they're just amazing!"

But Kakashi was really just staring at the young woman in front of him with his mismatched eyes. A scar remained stark against his pale skin from where a crow had bitten out his previous eye with its beak in curiosity.

"What are you waiting for?" Sakura asked as she turned back around, an inquisitive frown on her face.

Blinking and shaking himself over whatever he had just gotten caught up in, Kakashi followed after her to investigate the land that was now snow-free. Then Sakura was bringing out the last of their sunflower seeds in happiness. At first Kakashi was wary of encouraging the birds, but then he realized just how peaceful it was to have them eating out of his hand, chirping cheerily and obviously happy about such a gift.

"They're much nicer than crows, huh Kakashi?" Sakura asked, refusing to burst into chuckles as the man turned to her, nearly covered in cheery birds. They really seemed to like him, as if sensing his calm and nurturing self.

He gave a slight nod, startling a cardinal, before grabbing more feed from the bag to give to his new group of friends.

.

While Sakura had never minded attending to the farm alone, Kakashi did more work now as a human than he ever did as a scarecrow. Not to diminish his prowess for getting rid of this crows (except the one that Sasuke had an odd fascination with), but it did help that he could walk around now.

"How about you and me, we head into town and you can help me with the errands?"

"I would like that," he said in that rough, soft voice of his: just like fresh straw. He had been getting better at talking and now, mid-summer, he could easily hold a conversation with her. He still talked a little slow and sometimes didn't get the volume right, but it was still passable.

In town, Sakura could feel everyone staring at her and Kakashi, probably wondering where she had found the mystery man (oh, if only they could believe the truth). Finally, someone had the courage to come up and directly ask her about it.

"He was trying to travel during winter and I offered him a place to stay for the season."

"I would stay forever at your side," Kakashi said, and Sakura blinked up in shock at the earnest she saw in his mis-matched eyes.

Sakura smiled and took his hand in hers. During the entire way back, neither of them let go.

.

Sakura watched Kakashi play fetch with Naruto. They repeated the process of Kakashi throwing the stick, Naruto bounded up, fetching it, and bringing it back for Kakashi to pick up. Naruto was always the happiest when he could be of some use for others and make them happier.

Kakashi was laughing brokenly at Naruto, taking moments to pet his soft fur, before launching the stick off again. He looked anything but happy.

"Kakashi?"

At her soft call, Kakashi dropped the stick to break the cycle and, ignoring Naruto's whine, trotted over to her.

"Yes, my Sakura?"

"Don't you… don't you want to explore the world? For whatever reason you've been gifted life! Shouldn't you go do something amazing with it?"

He stared at her quizzically before sitting down aside of her. Kakashi took her hand in his (his was almost as tan as hers now), stared down at it for a moment, before looking back up at Sakura.

"Sakura, you were the one who made me like this. Everyday I wished and wished I could thank you, to be a bigger part of your life. And maybe someone or something heard me, or maybe you healed me all by yourself, or maybe I just willed myself into existence with stubbornness alone. But now that I can be here, and touch you, and actually name this feeling I have towards you, I can't imagine ever leaving you."

"What do you feel towards me?" Sakura asked, feeling brave but also suddenly very scared. Right away she had been fond of that lonely scarecrow in that dried up field, and that affection had only grown.

"Love, of course," Kakashi said with a smile still hidden behind his mask that Sakura suddenly, desperately needed to see.

Reaching up, she tried to grab at the mask, but he turned away from her, suddenly shy.

"What if I'm still hideous?" he whispered.

"You were never _hideous_, Kakashi. Stop being silly. It was just a little disconcerting to see my crude sewing come to life."

Kakashi glanced at her, and then back down to their still-joined hands. She squeezed his in encouragement.

"I have been wanting to do something with you I saw in town," Kakashi muttered as he turned back to face her.

"And what's that?" Sakura asked in confusion as she leaned over and pealed down his mask with her other hand.

What she saw was just another ordinary, human face. He seemed a bit older than her, and the scar made Kakashi seem a little broken, but he was the most beautiful thing Sakura had ever seen. She did not care if it had been her, or him, or something higher up above, that had allowed him to become this. She was gripped with thankfulness all the same.

Sakura smiled against Kakashi's kiss when he finally leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

><p>Posted: 10.4.2014<p> 


	5. In the Universe of Riots

A note: I don't know anything for certain about police regulation/policies, or very much detail on the process of arresting/detaining protestors. I've only watched 'Brooklyn 99,' and my friends never told me any exact details about when they'd gotten arrested for protesting. I know some facts, but it differs depending on a plethora of things, and this is a lighthearted fanfic. So please, just read and enjoy and remember I'm no expert. Cheers!

* * *

><p><span>Scenario Four: In the Universe of Riots<span>

_protester and police officer AU - found from the tumblr authorkurikuri_

_._

"Looks like someone finally decided to join us," Sakura said with a harsh jab at Naruto's ribs. Even with the kevlar vest, Naruto felt the hit and he made that fact known with a groan.

"Let me guess- Jiraya tried to convert you," Tsunade, their chief of police, said from aside Sakura. While usually Tsunade would not be out in the field with them, this march had started a lot of talking. It had been worth it just to watch the blond struggle into her vest with such an ample chest.

The two had just been talking about what side Naruto would choose before he showed up. Yes, he was a great new officer just as Sakura was, and would soon start rising fast. But would he put it all away to support something his original mentor created?

"Jiraiya said I could quit and he'd teach me in the ways of private detective work, or I could go and some day make it to Chief of Police. I'm a sucker for that position," Naruto said with his ever-present grin.

"You chose right," Tsunade said with a nod.

"I get that they've changed regulation, but really? Why is everyone taking this so far?" Naruto asked out.

"Because people love their porn, Naruto," Sasuke said, suddenly appearing. He was never far behind wherever Naruto went. Sakura could barely wait until they made detectives and the two partners had to deal with steak-outs together.

"But it's not like the books won't be circulated at all, just in a lesser amount of stores. Or they just buy it online like everyone else! Who even has the time or confidence to actually buy porn in public anyway," Naruto talked animately. "I mean really- these people are the laziest!"

"And that's why they made a multi-thousand person march on the library in less than twenty-four hours after the passing of the law, yes," Sakura said with a frown.

"Even if Jiraya markets them as romance novels, his books in particular cross over the line. The new mayor just wants to make a stand on the issue and impress middle-class mothers," Tsunade said with a shrug. "Although, it's just their fault that they decided to have wandering kids and didn't know how to discipline them in the first place."

Sakura opened her mouth, but just then she saw a glimpse of something in the previously empty street. Squinting, she saw that there was a man holding a flag that was just the a blown-up image of the first Icha-Icha cover. He was wearing all black and even his face covered with a mask.

"When you required us we wear our vests I thought you were loosing it for a little, but he looks a little…" Naruto drifted off.

"Manic?" Sasuke offered in his perpetually-tired tone.

Sakura had gone into work today believing it to be a normal day. Instead, her plans was thrown aside from a group's threat of marching on and defacing the library. Because apparently if they could not have easy public access to the literature they wanted, no one else could. Sakura barely believed there could be this much immediate hype from banning porn from a smattering of stores.

Now, as she watched the man still just stand there, silver hair out of control, wearing a mask and eyepatch (really who _were_ Jiraya's fan base and how were they even real?) Sakura wondered why she had decided to go into the supposedly glamorous, courageous line of police work.

Then the man lifted the flag high, and suddenly he was supported by a mass of people behind him. He gave a deep, blood curdling yell, and then they were creeping closer. Sakura dully wondered if they get their dramatic stint from the books, or if they read the books because they were so dramatic?

Either way, Sakura felt the hairs on her neck stand on end as the man waved the flag back and forth as they marched closer. She would rather have them sprint.

"Aren't you glad I convinced you to be a police officer and not a doctor like you could've been, Sakura?" Tsunade asked next to her, stance ready and eyes gleaming.

Sakura sighed and before mentally and physically bracing herself as well.

.

"I _demand_ to be released!"

"Not so fast mighty, masked protector of porn. We've already told you you're free to an attorney, but you haven't chosen one."

"I'm going to represent myself."

Sakura, who had been busy filing away paperwork to kill time, turned to the silver-haired man with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"It's just- I keep thinking you can't get more outlandish, especially with the eyepatch going on, and then you go and say that."

"I'm a lawyer, and he eyepatch is to cover up a gruesome war injury."

Sakura continued staring at the frazzled man for a little bit before turning back to her computer calmly. It was better just not to bait the man.

"And why am I being held here when everyone else got to go home?"

"Well, my colleagues and I very clearly saw that you were the one leading the riot, what with the flag and cries to '_Go forth my brethren! Follow me, your fearless leader, in this march against oppression!_' screamed at the top of your lungs. And then, oh yeah! You had the gall to throw water balloons filled with paint at us, which was a direct assault on multiple officers. You were the only one who wasn't peacefully protesting. You may have created the march, but you were the only one following through with the threat of desecrating the library."

The man frowned at her before sitting back down. He tried to cross his arms in anger, but couldn't manage it because of the handcuffs. After a few moments of useless struggle, his arms flopped down and he sighed. Sakura turned to look at him, and he seemed a little more relaxed, a little more in control of himself.

"I did something really dumb, didn't I?" he asked out morosely.

"You tell me, Mr. Lawyer."

"I really _am_ a lawyer. You yourself don't look strong enough to pick up a textbook, let alone throw me to the ground. But, here we are."

"I'm just a little shocked a lawyer didn't know how to apply for a permit, or oh, I don't know, a basis understanding on civil disobedience. Not the mention you don't even have you ID on you, which is the main reason for why we can't just release you back out into the wind."

The man groaned before saying: "I admit it. I got caught up in the fervor of it all and forgot myself for a bit. Have you ever had something you love just so much to a ridiculous degree that you'd do anything for it?"

"Well, I love my parents and co-workers. I'd do anything for them."

"Exactly!"

"I don't think cutting down on the places where you can buy your porn equates to my family's wellbeing," Sakura said dryly.

"Ok, you're right, I'm sorry. I'm just a bitter old man who didn't want his favorite romance novels to be thrown aside and forgotten."

"Well, as long as you learned your lesson."

"Do you get a dollar every time you say that? Why else would you be so stereotypical cop? By the way, I'm Kakashi Hatake."

Sakura heard some jangling from the handcuff chains and looked over to see him offering a hand, a crooked if not earnest grin on his face.

"Sakura Haruno," she answered as she shook his hand, wondering if this was some sort of trick.

"I'm sorry for throwing paint at you, Sakura. I'm also sorry for being disobedient and not taking the time to realize my actions had consequences."

"Aplogogy accepted. I'm still not releasing you."

"You just don't understand the plight I faced! I _had_ to act!"

.

Slowly the day went by, and since the three calls Kakashi had been allowed didn't return back ("I swear, next time I see Guy, Jiraiya or Genma I am punching them straight in the face. My record isn't clean anymore, what's another civil disobedience here or there?") he had to sit with Sakura until she heard back from Tsunade on what to do with him.

Since neither had much else to do, they started making conversation. Sakura was a little surprised at the amount of attention the march had gotten, and had commented off handedly that maybe she should check out the series. ("Yes you should! I'll even be your sponsor- you can borrow mine! I mean- even though you don't look very much over eighteen, I'm assuming that if you have a job here you in fact _are_.")

Throughout the day she learned about Kakashi's life: what law firm he worked for ("'_Hidden Law_?' Never heard of it." "Yeah, it was supposed to work reverse-phsychology style. Still waiting for it to kick in."), about his eight dogs ("They're great. Trust me. No one bothers me when I'm out with them.") and about the garden he illegally grew on top of his apartment building ("What can I say- I have to live up to my name.").

Sakura had finished her backlogged paper work hours ago, and almost felt bad after realizing she had spent nearly the entire day simply chatting. Not that she had much choice: Tsunade had told Sakura to hold him here, glared at Kakashi as if she had known him, and then stomped off.

"Sakura!"

Jumping out of her seat on instinct, the one addressed turned to see her Chief enter with Jiraiya. He seemed jovial as always, a great smile on his face.

"Ah, if it isn't sweet little Sakura!"

"Get that hand away from me. I could break it in one move."

"And _that's_ why I've never used you as a lead or side character or even cameo in any of my books! But more importantly- my number one fan! I cannot believe you created and lead that protest so last minute!"

"Anything to keep your series alive," Kakashi said solemnly as Sakura rolled her eyes. "Today it's taking it away from some stores, but what's to stop them banning it all together?"

"Supply and demand?" Sakura asked and Kakashi chuckled, patting Sakura affectionately on the arm as her smile widened into a smirk.

"I see you're getting along quite nicely with the man who coated your lucky vest in bright purple paint," Tsunade said with a grin and gleam in her eyes that Sakura feared.

"They're really all the same," Sakura argued half-heartedly.

"Anyways," Tsunade said, taking her eyes off of Sakura much to her relief, "Jiraiya is calling in a favor with this guy. He's free to go."

"I can't believe it! The day when you've become corrupt has happened," Sakura said with a gasp even as she reached into her uniform to grab the keys.

While usually Sakura would obviously be against letting someone go so easily, Kakashi had not done anything truly horrible. Sakura liked to think she was a good judge of character, and he had just lost his mind temporarily. She did that every time Naruto forgot to make a fresh pot of coffee after taking the last cup.

"He threw a fit akin to a toddler with his painting set out," Tsunade said with a shrug, vocalizing Sakura's similar thought-process.

"But I already did all the paperwork," Sakura said with a sigh as she pocketed her handcuffs again. Kakashi eagerly shook out his arms.

"I'll read it tonight to put me to sleep, I promise," Tsunade said dryly.

No appreciation at this precinct. Truly.

"How about I take you out to dinner," Kakashi voiced abruptly and Sakura turned to him, green eyes wide and mouth agape.

"It's really the least I can do after ruining your lucky vest, making you do useless paperwork, and then listening to me talk all day. Although, people pay me to do that, so maybe you got off with a rather lucky deal," Kakashi said with a wink.

Then Kakashi adjusted his mask to better cover up his face, and Sakura realized despite knowing him better after a full day of talking, he was just as eccentric as her first opinion of him. Right now she had him labeled in her head as: 'Peculiar Perv with Promise.'

"Dinner would be nice."

"_Sakura_-!" she heard Naruto call out from across the room.

"But I need to change first," Sakura continued to say, looking down at her dark blue uniform. She resolutely ignored the blond from hours of practice.

"You know that phrase about women being unable to resist a guy in uniform? They've gotta expand that for better accuracy," Kakashi said as he offered her his hand.

"And there's the pervert," Sakura said with a roll of her eyes and a hint of affection. She put her hand in his and Kakashi grabbed on eagerly. It looked to Sakura that he was smiling behind his mask.

Tsunade and Jiraiya watched their friends walk out, hands swinging lightly and looking disgustingly happy with the other.

"Well then, maybe that vest really was as lucky as Sakura thought. Never thought today would be a day about love conquering all," Tsunade said with a smirk.

"What are you talking about? That's all that my books have ever been about!" Jiraiya whined.

* * *

><p>Posted: 10.7.2014<p> 


	6. Four Fall Scenarios

Four Fall Scenarios: In the Universes of Leaves, Screams, Pumpkin Spice and Scarves

_All AU ideas _found from the tumblr _caswitch_

.

_I got caught staring at my adult neighbour raking up a bunch of leaves in their backyard and jumping into them and now have to awkwardly pretend i saw nothing AU_

Sakura peeked out from the window sill, making sure that only the top of her bright head of hair would be visible. It was a risk, but she would take it for this perfect vantage point.

She did not expect her Saturday morning to turn out like this, crouched in hiding as her coffee rapidly cooled, but this was a sight too good to pass up. Because directly in her line of vision was her aloof neighbor raking up leaves like he actually belonged in this suburbia.

Kakashi was as eccentric as it came: he always wore some sort of scarf of medical mask (two years, and still she had not seen his face), he had eight dogs of all various shapes and sizes (she had a sneaking suspicion he went to the humane society monthly and picked out any that they were going to euthanize), he had a scar down his left eye (was he a veteran?), and he had the prettiest silver hair (clearly from a lack of pigment, like a polar bear). She only knew his name because once coming back from a run she had peaked at his mail.

Yet at the moment Kakashi seemed eerily normal as he raked up the leaves from two big oak trees. He kept obsessively neat landscaping, and Sakura wondered if he could not stand the chaos the leaves brought.

Sakura thought that maybe this seemed a little odd to be staring so intensely, but she only got to see him one a week if that. She tilted her head as she watched him lean down and pat his pug's head before putting his rake down. Kakashi stood and looked at the more-than-modest pile of leaves with his hands on his hips, his visible eye narrowed as if contemplating the universe's mysteries.

Then he turned around, lifted his arms, and let his body fall back directly onto the pile of leaves.

Immediately the pug and his seven brethren jumped into the leaves as well with yips and barks. Kakashi rolled around in the leaves with his dogs, quickly undoing all his work. It was so picturesque Sakura was surprised a photographer did not suddenly appear to document it.

This continued on for longer than Sakura thought possible before he stood and shook leaves out of his plaid flannel and unruly hair. She frowned as she noted his dull yellow scarf still held fast, hiding his face.

Sighing, Sakura felt herself smile at seeming someone so mysterious happy, even if it was just from a pile of leaves and his dogs. It was truly surreal.

Of course that was when Kakashi looked up directly into her eyes with his sole one. In all Sakura's creeping activities this had never happened before; she quickly ducked her entire head out of view. Not that it made much difference: he had seen her!

The next few weeks were neighborhood hell for Sakura. After getting caught staring, Kakashi seemed to find ways to stare right back just as much whenever she was in clear sight. One time she was cooking and looked out to see he had paused from taking out his trash to watch her. He had lifted a hand in silent greeting that she hesitantly reciprocated. He continued standing there for a few long moments before finally turning away to position his bin on the curb.

This increased, until the point where she thought that one morning, as they both got their papers at the same time, Kakashi would finally vocalize a greeting. Sakura stood there, grasping the paper nearly to the point of tearing it in half, as he just stared and _stared_ at her. Sakura understood that he had some right to it after she had done it so creepily for so long, but this was getting a little out of hand.

Maybe he was trying to teach her a lesson? That it was rude not only to stare, but to do so to someone on their private property?

It had been another lazy Saturday morning and Sakura had trouble focusing on her medical studies. Deciding this silent war had gone on long enough, she sat up from the couch with a grunt. It was time to make a stand.

Sakura walked the short distance to Kakashi's front door and knocked. There was immediate yapping before the shuffle of feet. Then the door opened and Kakashi raised a bisected eyebrow expectantly.

"Yes, I saw you play in the leaves like a five year old with your dogs. I thought it was one of the cutest things I've ever witnessed in my life, and I will not apologize or stand your retaliating staring any longer."

She said it all in a quick blurb, voice pitched higher than usual. The man looked a little confused as his sole eye blinked slowly.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Sakura asked as she put her hands on her hips, feeling the edge of her sweater's collar fall off her shoulder. But she was not moving out of this strong pose.

Kakashi's lone eye focused on the sweater before he lifted a hand to right the soft collar.

"Would you walk the dogs with me?"

Sakura's mouth opened in a gape.

"That's what I wanted to ask each time I saw you. But then I got nervous, and the moment passed," he continued to say, deep voice rough.

"Oh, well, that solves that then," Sakura said, feeling foolish at how aggressive she had initially addressed him. She added 'shy to a fault' on her list of eccentric qualities about him.

"But it doesn't solve your answer," Kakashi noted as he leaned against his doorframe, grey eye still focused intently on her.

"I would like that," Sakura found herself automatically answer.

The two stood there in silence, staring and grinning at each other unabashedly. Finally, having heard the word 'walk' but nothing having happened yet, the pug at Kakashi's feet interrupted them with an impatient bark.

.

_Me and my roommate decided to decorate our house for halloween but got really into it, and ended up re-enacting several scenes from nightmare on elm street so loud the neighbours called the police to investigate screams AU_

When Sakura moved into a house with Ino, Naruto and Sasuke, she was a little concerned. Not in fear if they could cohabitate, but because sometimes they got along _too_ well. As in this present case: where they had begun decorating the house only to get distracted and start reenacting scenes from their favorite horror film in pristine detail.

Naruto was good at being damsel in distress with her, while Sasuke and Ino showed a disturbingly good ability to channel killer personas. Sakura would be a little concerned for her and Naruto if she had not been so close to the other two since childhood. Regardless, her and Naruto did not hold back on their fake exclamations of fear.

This all had apparently had scared their neighbors (who did not know the new renters next door were some high-energy college kids) enough to call the police. Which is where she found herself now: staring up at two officers in uniform as her other three (traitorous) housemates retreated to the upper floor in fear of any type of responsibility.

"Hello Miss…"

"Sakura Haruno."

"Miss Sakura," the left officer said with a nod of his brown head. "We were called because your neighbors heard some screams?"

"It's all just a misunderstanding, really," Sakura said as she glanced between the two, noting that the brown head's partner seemed to be wearing an eyepatch underneath that shaggy mane of silver hair.

"Do you mind if we come in and look around just to make sure?" the grinning officer asked.

"Yes, but- well, he clearly wastes no time," Sakura said as she watched the silent officer put a hand on her shoulder to move her out of his way to get inside the house.

"Kakashi can be like that. My name is Yamato," he said as he offered a hand that Sakura shook with more confidence than she felt.

"The neighbors sounded really terrified, whispering and all as if they were afraid you'd hear them and come for them next," Yamato said as he too stepped into the house, carefully closing the door behind him. "I thought with Halloween fast approaching it might be something like this, but we just want to check."

"Uh, well, it's just me and three friends here. They're upstairs. None of us are murderers."

"I'll go and see them first. Thank you for inviting us in, I'll be sure not to disturb or poke around unnecessarily. I actually heard some of the screams in the background. Either there really was a murder in progress or you're all potentially great actors."

Sakura nodded silently, wondering if she should take that as a compliment.

"I'll be right back. In the meantime, would you go and check up on my partner for me, please?"

Sakura nodded again before Yamato's cheeky grin widened and he went up the flight of stairs. Sakura's nervous smile diminished as she thought about what Yamato had just said: she thought the police officer was here to check up on them, not the other way around.

Thinking that she might as well continue with the decorations, Sakura walked into the kitchen where they had all been goofing off before the police came over. She nearly jolted as she saw the bright-haired police officer was sitting at the breakfast nook, calmly drinking what smelled like hot chocolate.

"Uh, hello?" Sakura asked, wondering how odd this whole experience had been already.

"You may want to clean up the evidence. I promise I won't tell my partner," he said as he nodded to the floor and counters.

Sighing, Sakura eyed the sprays of ketchup with distain. In her shock of suddenly having her house searched by police officers, she forgot all about the sticky condiment Naruto had grabbed and doused Sasuke in before the dark-haired man managed to wrestle it out of his grip to return the favor.

"It does look like someone may have gotten murdered here," Sakura said in contemplation.

"Just a tad. A little, slight murder if you may," the officer replied.

Sakura turned back to him to see he was already watching her with his lone eye over the lip of the steaming mug. The eyepatch did not hide the entire scar and it only added to his mysterious persona.

"Shouldn't you be investigating or something like your partner?" Sakura asked as she took a few steps closer to him. "Not drinking hot cocoa like a kid?"

"It was a cold drive out here, you owe me," he said self-righteously before taking another sip. Sakura eyed him for a moment longer before turning to make herself a cup as well. He had left out everything as it was.

"Are you guys planning on having a party or something? So I can be prepared for the onslaught of noise complaints to our overworked precinct?" he asked after Sakura was nearly done with her own cup of steaming sweetness.

"Not really, we just like decorating. You could say we get a little overzealous in it all," Sakura said with a laugh as she moved to sit aside him on another stool. The ketchup could wait to get cleaned up.

"I couldn't tell, what with you all making such realistic screams that I'm here," Kakashi said with a slight grin. His face had been so passive until right then, it was like he had been wearing a mask in Sakura's inability to read him.

"And you?"

"No, I personally don't like making public disturbances. Especially this early in the day," Kakashi said, slight smile gone and deadpan voice and face reemerging.

"That's a shame. I thought you seemed like a real screamer."

Sakura almost felt bad when he started choking on his drink, sounding like he was trying to hack up a lung. She patted his back both in help and sympathy.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he finally got out in a wheeze.

"Maybe," Sakura said with a sly smile as she inched closer to him. "This was all a huge ruse and Yamato is already tied upstairs from my friends."

"It's a huge offense to kill an officer of the law," Kakashi said as he propped an elbow on the counter, chin resting in his upturned palm. He had that almost-smirk back on his blank face.

"Maybe you're just a little early for Halloween this year and wanted to try and fool some kids with a costume you're really proud of."

"You wouldn't believe how much I had to pay for that that black-market squad car," Kakashi said with a sigh that had Sakura laughing.

His sole eye was focusing back on her now, and Sakura felt her chuckle die. A flush began to creep up from her neck at his continued intense stare.

"Are you flirting with me, Miss Sakura?" Kakashi asked out blankly.

Sakura opened her mouth for an answer she did not yet have, but did not get the chance as suddenly there was a sound of thunder down the stairs and Naruto was bursting into the kitchen. Kakashi instinctually leaned away from Sakura (they had gotten quite close, his grey eye had just been so entrancing) and both turned to the blond.

"Sakura-! Tell this weirdo police officer to leave. He won't stop making these really lame faces with the flashlight," he said in a clear whine as Sakura's other housemates came in, Yamato in tow with said flashlight. She noted with a breath of laughter that he still had his face illuminated.

"Well, this has clearly been a bust despite all the blood. Ready to head out?" Kakashi asked as he stood, Sakura's eyes following him.

"We do need to check out that other call," Yamato said as he finally turned off the flashlight and handed it to Ino, who took it with a wide smirk that had the jubilant police officer fumbling for a moment.

The two uniformed men gave short goodbyes before leaving the house and getting into their car. Sakura waved from the porch as they drove off. Ino and Sasuke went back upstairs while Sakura grabbed Naruto's ear and forced him to follow her back into the kitchen to clean up the ketchup war he had started.

Looking at the mug the officer had left (he had chosen the one with the a cat in a santa's costume saying 'Meowy Catsmas') she sighed before picking it up to wash. She stared in disbelief a moment later at the slip of paper the mug had hidden underneath until just now. Hastily putting down the mug, she picked up the folded piece of paper and opened it up.

It had a hastily scrawled cellphone number, along with the message: 'Call if you want to find out if I really am a screamer or not.'

Sakura gaped at it for a moment before leaning her head back and giving out a cry of victory.

"Sakura! Stop screaming or they'll call the police again!" Naruto whined as he tried to regain his hearing.

.

_I ordered a pumpkin spice latte at starbucks and you made a heart with the foam and i decided to drink it here so i can smile at you some more AU_

Sakura absently fiddled with a loose brass button on her red jacket. She decided after a moment it could wait to get reaffirmed with threat once she got home.

Sighing, she looked around at the over thought, artful look at this Starbucks. The mornings had finally begun to have a chill in the air, and already it was like a pumpkin virus had infected the entire establishment. Not that Sakura could complain: it was exactly for that reason why she had dropped in this morning. At this time of the year, Sakura accepted the grossly overpriced robbery of the institution. These special drinks were worthy enough.

"Pumpkin spice latte for Sakura."

Eagerly, Sakura stepped forward from the throng of people to get her drink, only to frown when she noticed that it was in a mug and not the to-go container that she had asked for. Not to mention, there was a… was that a heart? It looked a little bit more like a gingko leaf, but she supposed the person had not been going for a tree leaf (despite how the leaves had begun to fall).

Looking up from the sturdy orange mug, she saw a man with a medical mask glance at her before busying himself with the next drink order.

"I ordered this to go," Sakura said in confusion to him, a furrow in her prominent brow.

"Really?" he asked lazily, still not looking back up to her. His hands worked quickly and efficiently on another latte.

"Yes!" she said in eager argument, his blasé attitude a little tiresome this early in the morning.

"Well, how I see it, is either you can walk out with it and probably get caught for stealing, or it would chill instantly. Or you can sit on that chair that just vacated at the fireplace and take a moment to breath and enjoy the drink. Maybe fix that button."

Sakura blinked as the man gave her a wink. Did it still count as a wink if she could only see one of his eyes? He really needed to get his bangs in check.

Huffing, Sakura cradled the drink closer to her chest before moving to the chair he had mentioned. She sat and looked down at the drink before taking a big sip of it to dispel the half-hearted attempt at a common symbol of affection. Just to retaliate against him, she brought out a book instead of fixing her jacket.

After some minutes, when her mug was empty and she was putting her coat back on, she did admit it had been nice to relax. She always had so much to do and read at for school, so this time had been like a nice oasis of relaxation.

And so began a new routine. Sakura would ask for to-go drinks a couple times a week (hey, Sakura had to take advantage of their pumpkin flavors while she could), which Kakashi (she finally asked for his name so she could write a formal complaint) would entirely ignore and keep making her drinks for here. His hearts slowly gotten better, and Sakura did not know whether to be flattered or annoyed at this odd, constant show of affection.

Because the man showed no other sense of interest. If she had not caught him watching her drink at the fireplace, she would have thought Kakashi was doing this solely to annoy her. But Sakura could see the edges of a blush under his mask when he looked away, crinkles at his eyes from a smile. He could be as aloof as he wanted, but she could still see the obvious.

Finally giving in, one morning Sakura ordered loudly: "Pumpkin spice latte for _here_ please."

This caught Kakashi's immediate attention as he appeared at the register, a quizzical eyebrow lifted. Sakura lifted one of her own before paying and moving to wait for her drink. It came faster than usual, and when she grabbed the drink, Kakashi refused to let it go. His one visible eye was narrowed at her, obviously wondering why she had broken their tradition.

"Would you like to sit with me?" she asked, thinking his hands felt rough against hers.

He gave a single nod before letting go and taking off his apron and handing it off to a frowning brown-haired man. Sakura thought the man would make some sort of argument about him leaving at such an inopportune time, but he just shrugged before picking up the drink Kakashi had stopped halfway. The silver-haired man easily ducked out and reappeared to join her at the fireplace. The couch was open, and he hesitantly sat aside of her on it.

"I'm Sakura Haruno," she said as she raised a hand for him to shake.

"I know, I've been throwing away cups with your name on it for weeks now," he said lightly, enveloping her smaller hand in his to shake. He added: "I'm Kakashi Hatake."

"It's nice to meet you Kakashi, although I also knew your name in necessity to finish a formal complaint I filled out ages ago."

His face seemed to drop behind his white mask and Sakura could not help but laugh. She noticed that Kakashi seemed more confused than ever.

"It's just nice to finally meet the person who forces me to sit and drink my coffee here so he can stare at me," she said breezily, but kept her green eyes focused on him to gage his reaction.

Kakashi did an odd cough-laugh as he scratched the back of his head, refusing to meet her gaze. He knew that he had been caught red-handed.

"Which is alright, really, since it gave me ample time to stare right back," Sakura said breezily.

This got Kakashi to finally look up at her, visible eye creased in hope and happiness. Sakura smiled back over the edge of her large mug before taking a sip. Despite the lacking artworks, Kakashi still knew how to make a damn fine drink.

.

_This stranger on the street corner looks like they're severely unprepared for this cold weather, here, take my scarf, i was planning on donating it to goodwill anyways AU_

Sakura shivered as she wrung her hands together and breathed over them, willing heat into her ice-cold fingers.

She had always had poor circulation. The fact that fall had finally defended upon their bustling city was obvious to all except her apparently. Everyone who passed was wrapped in knit wear or fashionable scarves, hands jammed into pockets or held lovingly with another's.

Cursing the light, and her inability to check the weather, Sakura started hopping in place to warm herself up. It was only a few more blocks until she was home and she could retreat to her big bed with a good book and cup of tea-

Sakura's imagination was derailed as she felt something wrap around her neck loosely; all she saw for a moment was a dull yellow before the scarf settled on her shoulders comfortingly.

Turning with her mouth wide open, she turned to see a man who had four leashes in each hand, his variety of dogs sitting at his feet patiently. Their warm breaths all mingled into one, making it seem like they were being followed by a cloud of fog.

"I was going to donate it soon anyways," the man said with a shrug, his one visible eye drooping in what looked like exhaustion. Probably because he had eight dogs to walk. How did he even manage to easily wrap a scarf around her then?

When his head tilted akin to what one of his dogs might do, Sakura jumped in place to realize she had just been staring at him in silence.

"I promise none of us have any lice or fleas you might catch," he said with a nod down to his pack of dogs that all yipped as one.

"Thank you," Sakura said sincerely as she wrapped the scarf tighter around her nearly-numb face. She was sure her nose was pinker than her hair at this point.

He gave a nod, since clearly his hands were too full to give a wave, before heading off in the opposite direction Sakura was going. Looking, she noted that she had missed the light and would have to wait for the next one.

Not that she minded, now that she had a scarf to protect her. She turned and watched as the slouched figure, dressed in nearly all black except for the bulky green vest, rounded a corner and disappeared out of view.

For the next few days Sakura remembered to change out her lighter jacket for an actual coat. And even though the collar was now high and thick enough to protect her neck and face from harsh winds, every morning she picked up the worn yellow scarf and wrapped it around in comfort. It clashed a little bit with her hair and eyes, making her head look like an easter egg of colors, but she loved it all the same.

The scarf represented the utter willingness to help a stranger out when they were in need; she wished she could see that man again and thank him. She had kept an eye open for him and all his dogs, but she had not seen him again. She contemplated going to the park more to see if he came there, but the black ice was rampant there.

Finally, after two weeks (and it was definitely well into fall now) she spotted that shock of silver from afar. Unlike last time, he did not have his dogs with him. He was ahead of her and going in the same direction. Running as fast as she could without eating asphalt from the pockets of ice, Sakura caught up to him slightly breathless.

"Hello again," she said through a fog of her crystalized breath.

He blinked at her one before his sole eye crinkled, as if he was smiling underneath his scarf. Sakura stood there, staring and smiling like an idiot, before she became aware she was doing the exact same thing the first time she had seen him.

"I'm Sakura," she said as she offered out a hand.

"No gloves; you're still sorely lacking for this weather," he said before he reached forward and shook hers, himself wearing tight black gloves that were very warm to the touch. "Call me Kakashi."

"I've had you in my mind as 'Scarf Savior' for so long it's a little hard to actually put a name to your face that I still can't really see," Sakura said as she shook his hand, and then winced as she realized she had actually voiced that aloud.

He shrugged before focusing back on her, obviously expectant for an explanation for why she had ran up to him breathless and stopped his walk.

"Where are your dogs today?" she asked, grasping to find something to talk about as they stood there in the cold winds.

"At home being lazy no doubt. They just sleep most of the days now," Kakashi said, and Sakura wished she could see past his hair and scarf to what his face looked like. He had a deeper voice than most of the boys at her college. It was a welcome change.

There was a beat of silence again, and Sakura realized it was her responsibility to fill it since she had stopped him oddly enough.

"Can I buy you a coffee sometime? To thank you for the scarf? I wear it everyday. It's really quite lovely," Sakura rambled, willing herself to calm down before she scared Kakashi off.

"It was really no problem, you don't need to give me anything in return," he said, taking a step away from her as if she was dangerous.

"Oh, alright then," Sakura said, not being able to hold back her disappointment. His body language got his message across clear while his words had been a little vague.

"I'll see you around," he said with a nod before leaving.

That night, Sakura attempted to make progress on her thesis and found herself lacking any motivation. She knew she was fairly pretty, even with her large forehead and unusual hair color, but she had not expected a flat out rejection from Kakashi. Now it seemed silly that she had so blatantly asked him out. He had done something selfless and how had she repaid him? By weirding him out.

She let her head fall back against her desk with a painful bang.

When she woke up the next morning she instinctually grabbed the yellow scarf, but then thought better of it. She had a green one Ino had given her ages ago, but she did not feel up to searching through her closet for it. Her coat was warm enough, and she could find it later.

Weeks passed and Sakura found herself once again shivering and waiting for the crosswalk light to turn. While her coat was warm, it was now past the time where she really did need a scarf. Shivering, she bunched her shoulders up around her ears in resolve.

"You haven't been wearing my scarf lately. What happened to it?"

Turning to the voice, Sakura's eyes narrowed against the cold to see Kakashi with his army of dogs again. They were all wearing various clothes and scarves themselves, feet padded comfortably with little shoes. She had to bit her bottom lip quite hard to stop herself from exclaiming out at the overload of cuteness.

"Sakura? I know my dogs are attractive, but my eyes are up here?"

Flicking her eyes up to him, Sakura gaped before saying: "Well, it was just a little embarrassing after you flat-out rejected me."

"Rejected you?" Kakashi said with a furrowed brow before asking: "I just didn't want to take advantage of you for giving you a ratty old scarf. Even the smallest coffees around here are ridiculously expensive."

"I was asking you out on a date," Sakura said, trying to hold down the urge to smile.

She lost that battle quickly as Kakashi dropped the leashes in shock, a moment later realizing what he had just done and rushing to grab them up again (not that the dogs had moved, as they were all studying Sakura intently). He fumbled for a moment before looking back at her, eye narrowed in clear doubt.

"How old are you that you didn't realize that?" Sakura asked with a bright laugh.

"So old fashioned its new," he said with another hidden smile beneath that same old red scarf. "Here, I'll let you borrow this for the time being."

For the second time, Kakashi leaned forward and wrapped a warm scarf around Sakura's neck and shoulders. She looked up and her smile only widened. She still could not see his face from the high collar on his winter jacket, but soon enough she vowed to see it.

"Much better than the yellow one," he said with a nod. "Although, it looks like you could use a warm drink to warm you up. Coffee, perhaps?"

Despite the thick scarf covering her face, Sakura knew her smile was probably obvious.

.

Word Count: 1,000; 1,500; 1,000; 1,500  
>Posted: 10.8.2014<p> 


	7. Five Halloween Scenarios

Five Frightening Halloween Scenarios: In the Universes of Tree People, Grim Reapers, Sprites, Werewolves and Dragons

_All AU ideas found from the tumblr bertlholders_

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_a little tree person followed you home, ate a bunch of your candy, and threw up on your couch AU_

Kakashi staggered for a moment before righting himself, not missing the grimaces on the mothers' faces he passed. Clearly he was not being very covert about his drunken condition (damn Guy and his competitions). It would explain why he had that tick at the back of his head, like someone was watching him.

It was only when he was back at his apartment (after managing to find his keys just before kicking open the obstacle all together) when he turned and saw a small girl behind him. She held the bowl of sweets he had out in her tiny hands.

She had an intricate costume on. Pink blossoms coated her head and fell down to her shoulders in imitation of hair. She was dressed in what looked like bark, and her eyes reflected the few bright green leaves that sprung up haphazardly around her face, which she was stuffing without abandon with candy.

"Great, now I have to call the police," Kakashi mumbled before steeling himself and grabbing the phone. The tree-girl continued to eat the sweets, grin widening and eyes never moving from him.

Kakashi described her to the policeman and waited to see if there were any reports of missing children matching it. When there were none, and Kakashi became animated ("Really, she's like a small cherry tree! Someone must be missing her if they spent this long on her costume!"), the officer hung up. But not before saying he needed to sober up before trying to make him believe such a bogus claim again.

Kakashi did not have much time to feel angry, as the girl suddenly turned on the couch they were sitting, leaned over it, and promptly puked up what looked like two gallons of murky candy.

"I should be doing that, I'm the drunk one," he muttered dejectedly before looking at the girl who looked utterly miserable.

"At least you only got the back part a bit, the rest just… splattered all over the ground."

He shooed her off to the shower as he cleaned up the mess (nearly loosing his stomach a few times in the process). By the time he was done she was out, costume oddly reassembled. Regardless, she looked refreshed. She gave him a small smile as he picked her up to lie down on the couch; the smell barely lingered thanks to Kakashi's liberal use of cleaning materials.

"When we wake up, we'll figure this all bout. At least you'll feel better, unless sugar-hangovers are real."

The girl did not respond (oddly she still had not talked; Kakashi would think a kid would be loosing it right now), and Kakashi reached out to touch the flowers that consisted of her hair. It really was the most realistic costume he had ever encountered, or he was really drunk. It was probably both.

Kakashi woke up on the first of November. He groaned both because of his headache, but mostly at the remembrance on how he had acquired a small child. He swung his legs over and walked out, expecting to see wilted petals and a drooling girl, only to find a young woman and the pink flowers as vibrant as he remembered them being last night.

Kakashi must still be drunk. It was the only reasonable explanation.

"Good morning," the young woman chirped as she approached him, petals swaying as she moved.

Kakashi still could just stare.

"I'm sorry for making such a mess of myself last night," she said, and was she _blushing? _"I get a little carried away during Halloween. It's just so easy to become a little girl, and no one questions the way I look, and I get to have all that candy I can't otherwise have. I've tried growing it, trust me. Plus all my tree friends are going asleep, leaving me alone, and I get lonely. I hope you can understand."

Kakashi reached up and felt the petals underneath his fingers. They moved to face him as if he was the sun.

"My name is Sakura, by the way. Spirit of the forest, where I heal and help things grow. It's a pleasure to meet you…?"

"Kakashi."

"Hello, Kakashi" Sakura said, green eyes glimmering.

.

_grumpy reaper follows you around because you have really really bad luck and you eventually become good friends AU_

Sakura watched eagerly as Kakashi crossed the street, nose deep into one of those little novels. Her eyes flicked to the oncoming truck, with the driver on his cellphone no doubt yelling at a loved one or roommate. The squeal of tires was unheard of by the man, his pace resolutely the same despite the oncoming danger.

But it was not meant to be, as the truck missed him by only inches, swerving off to nearly take out a fire extinguisher instead. The breeze of a death barely avoided moved silver hair momentarily like a warm summer breeze.

"You just continue to ruin my immortal life!" Sakura whined as he floated back to Kakashi's side.

She had been on this case for over a month; the man died nearly twice a day from various accounts daily. Yet still he had not perished so Sakura could finish her duty and go find another who reeked of death. She was not allowed to interfere with death, only to help the soul once its material body had vanished.

"Please, don't let my life get in your deathly way," Kakashi said as he resolutely ignored her, keeping his nose in his book.

"It'll happen eventually," Sakura said gloomily.

"Yes, lovely pink-haired guardian. I still think you're an angel, how else would I narrowly escape so many escapades?"

It was true. Despite death being her livelihood, Sakura marveled in the ways Kakashi seemed to absently avoid death. Be it from food poisoning, a spider bite, or just now with the truck.

Time passed, and soon Sakura belatedly realized it had been over four mortal months, and she was close friends with the man. It was not very hard, considering he lived a life of near seclusion. Despite being a professor and being surrounded by colleagues and youths alike, he preferred to remain alone.

Slowly Sakura realized that maybe he was not too bad, and maybe she had mistaken the type of death she had picked up from him.

Yes, he had terrible luck, and that showed in ways past his own almost-demises. His mother died when he was very young, his father not long after from deep depression and PTSD. His best friend and also first and only girlfriend had passed on as well. His luck seemed deadly to all except for him.

After learning all this through needling him, Sakura felt bad about haunting him.

"I should really go, leave you to it," she said one day sadly.

"Why?" Kakashi asked with a furrowed brow, finally looking up from his infernal books.

Sakura shrugged, twisting her fingers together nervously. Kakashi looked away from her and sighed.

"I'm not afraid to die," he started with. "In a way, I look forward to it. It's not because I'm depressed, I like life enough. But I look forward to seeing my parents, and my friends."

When Kakashi stood and reached for her, Sakura resisted the urge to shrink back. It did not matter what she did, as shown when his hand moved straight through her arm. His fist clenched where her heart had once been before it went back to his side.

"I also get to be where you are," Kakashi said with a smile that was hidden beneath his scarf.

Sakura smiled widely and moved closer to him, to better see his honest expression. She studied Kakashi in silence and resisted the urge to reach forward to try and touch him herself.

"I'll put in an application to work with me. You'll have a great jump in the game, as usually people have to wait until they're dead to enlist."

"Good thing I know such an amazing reaper on the inside," Kakashi said with a wink that had Sakura blushing; she did not even know she could still do that. She also did not think she could still feel this intense affection for the living.

"Well, I guess there's no rush," Sakura said with a shrug. "I can be patient."

"Want to go watch a movie?" Kakashi asked with a grin renewed.

"Why not? You don't have to pay for my ticket, and I don't need anything at the concession stand. I'm the cheapest date around."

.

_little nature sprite that wonders around your house and likes to take rides in your pockets AU_

As much as Kakashi loved his dark forrest home, he adored Sakura's bright cottage. Here there was fresh baked goods and a pretty girl that did not run away from him in fear. He still did not know what scared so many people away: was it the spiky silver hair, the mismatched eyes, or his covered face? Personally, he thought himself quite a fetching sprite. Much better than his good spring sprite friend Guy who was positively _obsessed_ with green.

"Good morning, Kakashi," Sakura said drowsily as she appeared in the kitchen and started making them some cups of tea. Because of his current size, Kakashi's cup was a thimble. But soon that would be changing.

"It's officially the first day of fall," he voiced in return from the counter, legs swinging under him absently.

"Ah, now I see why you're so chipper," Sakura said as she went up to him, offering him her hand. He eagerly hopped onto it and held fast to her thumb as she brought him to her breast pocket. He jumped in eagerly, silver hair poking back up a moment later.

"It's going to be great," he said before taking the tea she offered, holding fast to the fabric with his other.

"Oh yes, I can't wait for you to get bigger so you can menacingly loom over me," Sakura said with a laugh that shook Kakashi's entire frame. "At least I can wear shirts without pockets for a while. And yes, you do make the most wonderful snowflakes, but then the house becomes an icebox. Sometimes I like you more in summer when you're small and weak."

"But then I can't make ice sculptures of you," Kakashi whined from the pocket.

"There is that," Sakura said thoughtfully.

The silver sprite smiled as Sakura lifted her index finger to her lips, kissed it, and then pressed it against his cheek. Even though he was probably too small for her to notice it, Kakashi was glad his mask covered his blush.

In truth, Kakashi was especially happy to grow taller and bigger this year as his season approached. At the end of fall he had decided he was going to tell Sakura just how much he loved and appreciated her. He had met Sakura three summers ago, when she had been exploring the forest. She had found him, hibernating in the pathetic size of a pebble, and had taken him home. Kakashi had awoken surrounded in ice water and had never been more thankful in his life. Despite his endless years of existence, it did not make each summer easier to deal with.

And so Kakashi had decided to stick around, and Sakura decided to allow him.

Kakashi still had to return to his forrest, especially to begin the onset of winter, but he always made a point to see daily Sakura. Some of the fellow sprites made fun of him for getting engrossed in a young human whose life was but a blink for them, but Kakashi could not stay away. He did not care that she had odd pink hair or was a young mortal. He grew to love her all the same.

So Kakashi waited out the brisk days of fall, riding around in Sakura's pockets contently. He made sure to never get seen when she took him to the hospital she worked at or the market. Soon he was too big to fit, and so moved to sit on her shoulder or head. Then he became tall enough to stand up to her waist, and Sakura cooed over his childish appearance.

Soon enough it was almost the end of fall and Kakashi had only a few more inches to grow until he was at his full size and ability. Usually this was the time he stopped getting physically close to Sakura, but he continued on with the behavior long after he would usually stop.

"What's this about, Kakashi?" Sakura asked one morning as she made tea for them. Kakashi stood behind her, chin proper on her shoulder and arms snuggly crossed around her waist.

"I just love you is all," Kakashi said cheerily before he pressed his masked mouth to her cheek.

.

_your werewolf bf has fleas AU_

Sakura adored Kakashi. How could she not?

She enjoyed the way he stood over her, tall enough to comfortably rest his chin on her head and wrap his arms around her when she attempted to cook them some dinner (he was always way better at it). She enjoyed his thick silver hair that she could effortlessly run her fingers through. She enjoyed the way he snuggled close to her at night, nose pressed against her neck and snuffling softly as he slept.

She did not, however, appreciate how he had fleas.

Sakura had been aware of his unique 'condition' ever since the beginning, when she had nearly been attacked by a wild animal only to be saved by another furry beast. He had been fully transformed at the time, huge silver body two times her size and no doubt three times as heavy. But he had not hurt her after saving her from the bear. Instead the wolf crept closer, ears perked in clear interest.

That afternoon Sakura had reached forward to touch him, and they had been inseparable since.

"Kakashi, we need to talk."

The (currently) man turned to her, eyebrows up and expectant. Sakura had always thought it quirky how he favored silence and body language to convey a point rather than just talking.

"You know I love you," she began with as she sat next to him on the couch.

Instinctively, he reached over and grabbed her hand in his. He gave a sole, solemn nod for her to continue. His eyebrows were now furrowed in concern.

"And living with you has been, simply put, great. All that meat you bring back from your hunts has really cut down on my grocery expenses. And you really are the best type of heat source during this past winter."

Kakashi's chest puffed out in pride, a slight smirk on his rugged face.

"So what I'm going to say might be a little hard to take, but you need to hear it," Sakura said, breaking off to take a deep breath.

She knew it should not be this hard to tell her boyfriend to get some flea-medication for their nonexistent dog at some veterinary. But Sakura always had the problem of over thinking things: what if Kakashi was offended that she was not accepting him, fleas and all?

"Sakura, just tell me what's wrong," Kakashi said roughly as he reached up with his free hand, resting it against the side of her face.

In response, she smiled softly and leaned into his large palm. Sakura opened her mouth to say what needed to be said, but then she saw it.

A flea.

Thinking fast, she brushed aside his hand on her face and reached forward to whack him. She had seen the flea crawling near his temple, and she was not going to let it get away.

Kakashi let out a high-pitched yip, its tone a mixture of shock and pain. Sakura ignored him for the moment to grab the flea, using her nails to pinch off its blood-sucking little head. Its body twitched gruesomely before it went still.

"Sakura," Kakashi whined out, holding the side of his face she had ruthlessly slapped. "Is this some weird new human-way to break up?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura lifted her hand that held the parasite's carcass and pointed at it meaningfully. Kakashi leaned forward before grinning sheepishly at her, shoulders hunched up to his ears at being caught red-handed. Although, Sakura was truly the one red-handed, what with the squished blood and everything.

"They keep biting me."

Kakashi frowned and sighed, the hand pressed against his face dropping away.

"I hate that place," he said with a growl. "All those overpowering smells and animals in cages."

"Kakashi- I've _explained_ this. They're there to get better. Humans can help animals. I've helped you integrate better into society, haven't I? You would never have gotten the hang of can openers without me. Now you don't seem like a wild man."

Kakashi huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine, I'll go and get that smelly medicine."

"That's my perfect werewolf boyfriend," Sakura cooed as she kissed his cheek, a smirk on her face.

.

_someone left a baby dragon on your porch AU_

Sakura inelegantly groaned when she saw the little life on her door step. It slept ignorantly on in a wicker basket paced with a blush red blanket, smoke curling up from its muzzle as it snored.

It was actually becoming quite a problem, these dragons left on doorsteps. It was a new fad in the neighboring country to hunt dragons without mercy, and they had come into the neighboring great village of Konoha to seek refuge. Yet most of these dragons only wanted a safe place for their child before returning back to their nation, in hopes that they could fight against the hunters and restore their homeland.

Because if anything, dragons were stubborn and sulky and did not take no for an answer when they wanted something. Especially when they loved it.

Crouching down by the basket, Sakura noted there was a note. She realized this dragon's father must have been quite a powerful one, if he could transform into a human form (the letter and its neat handwriting proved it). This one would also probably be able to shift once he grew up. Sakura opened the note and read:

'His name is Kakashi. His mother was killed by hunters and I go now to avenge her, and then join her. Please take care of my son.'

"And they're noble to a fault," Sakura muttered to herself before glancing back at the slumbering creature.

This dragon had picked out a good place in hopes of a better life for his son. Sakura lived on the outskirts of the city, where she could grow all the herbs she needed for her healing potions. While she had been quite the adventurer in past years, she had decided that a life of medical knowledge and study was more to her tastes. So she took all the gold from plundering, bought this large property, and set up shop.

Friends and patients often visited her, but she was usually content in her solitude. The two close friends who had campaigned across the countryside with her, Naruto and Sasuke, were off still doing that.

Sighing, and knowing that she really never had any choice (especially with how his silver scales glistened beautifully), she reached forward and took the basket inside with her. She set it down in her living room and picked up a book. She was sure that despite its young age, the dragon would be quite scared when he woke up in a foreign place. So she hunkered down and waited, a few buckets of water strategically placed around the room if he got more than a little defensive.

After hearing a slight gurgle, and then a chirp like a young sparrow, Sakura looked over and saw the little beast was awake. It stared at her with tired dark eyes, its long tongue darting out briefly to smell around him.

"Hello there, little Kakashi," Sakura voiced, and it perked the dragon's interest. Slowly, he moved out of the basket, winged arms tucked close to his lanky body as his long tail behind him swayed back and forth.

"My name is Sakura and I'm going to take good care of you," she continued to say kindly as she marked her place in her book and set it aside.

He blinked at her slowly again before moving closer. Sakura almost jumped in shock as he leaped up onto the couch aside of her. It sniffed at her once, tongue flicking out to tickle her cheek, before lumbering into her lap.

Sakura stared in shock as he curled into himself, long tail wrapping around Kakashi's small body before tucking comfortably behind one of her knees. Hesitatntly, she reached out and began stroking his wild mane of silver hair, careful not to snag his nubby little horns or small, perked ears.

"Well then," Sakura said in astonishment as the dragon then seemed to vibrate, a deep rumbling coming from his chest and smoke curling out of his muzzle again. Kakashi nuzzled his face closer into her hand, body closer to her stomach to obviously seek more warmth and affection.

"I think I'm going to love you quite a lot, Kakashi," Sakura said.

The dragon chirped in agreement.

* * *

><p>Word Count: 700 word each; 3,500 total<br>Posted: 10.12.2014


	8. In the Universe of Hospitals

A note: This is a double AU, as I decided to set it in a WWI era.

* * *

><p><span>Scenario Five: In the Universe of Hospitals<span>

_One's blind and falls in love with the other's voice AU -_ found from the tumblr authorkurikuri__

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Not for the first time, Kakashi was petrified with fear. But unlike all those previous times (either from a child armed glitter to a man armed a rusty bayonet), he had no idea where he should start to rectify the situation.

All he heard around him were soft, timed beeps. He could feel the needle in his arm, the scratchy gown around him, and the sheets pulled up around his prone body. Kakashi felt that nothing hurt or seemed out of place, despite him obviously being in a hospital.

Except for the bandages swathing his face, and that all he could see was black. He sat there, unmoving, for what felt like hours trying to understand what had happened.

"Mr. Hatake? Are you finally awake?"

Kakashi stiffened at the voice, as he had not heard the person come in from his lapse in to deep confusion and worry.

"Where am I?" he snapped out stiffly.

"You're back home, in Konoha Hospital."

If Kakashi could furrow his brow, he would. When he had last been conscious he had been overseas, fighting in a war next to his best friend in a muddy, filthy trench. They had been ordered to move forward despite the inevitability of their deaths. Kakashi had watched Obito look down at the picture of Rin she had given him years ago. He placed it sit safely right over his heart, like a ward against evil.

But of course, a picture was not actually capable of such a far-fetched ability. So it did nothing to stop a bullet from passed straight through it, to bed in to his best friend's chest. Obito's body fell onto a land mine, where half his body was instantaneously blown off. Kakashi could still see his mutilated face, smiling as if happy to finally be released from his duty.

Or maybe he was happy that he was finally going off to see Rin again. They had met the kind nurse while training, and unfortunately she had been killed in an attack on their base. She had been very sweet and while Kakashi felt the pain of another loved one lost, Obito had never been the same.

Then all Kakashi remembered was running blindly forward, careless of the mines under his feet that had taken away Obito, or the enemies before him.

"I'm sure this is all very shocking for you," she continued to say, and now that he was aware of her presence, Kakashi could hear her steps. And while her voice was high, and undoubtedly young, it was weathered. Tired.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, willing himself not to cry. Despite the lightness the morphine gave him, he still felt a lot of pain.

"You were gassed. Your eyes were too damaged to be cared for over there, and since you were not fit for duty anymore, you were sent back home," she said, her steps stopping from the area where the soft mechanical sounds were coming from. He heard the scratch of a pencil or pen against paper.

Kakashi remained silent for a beat before asking out: "Are you my nurse? You talk like you know me."

She laughed lightly, and he stiffened as she patted one of his hands positioned over the blankets.

"I was very young when you first went off to fight. And yes, me and Dr. Tsunade will be taking care of you."

Kakashi hummed in response, at least recognizing the name of the woman who people believed had the ability to preform miracles. Kakashi supposed that if he had to be saddled with a doctor, he would very much prefer it to be her.

"Well, I just wanted to check in on you. I'll go tell Dr. Tsunade right away that you're awake. She'll be with you momentarily."

He heard the footsteps again, retreating out of the room. They were light but lively, like summer rain on a tin roof.

.

"Well, good news is you're not dead. Bad news, you'll most likely be blind for the rest of your life. Your left eye is right out of the question to save, but we may be able to save the right one. And when I say save, I mean you may be able to see some type of indistinguishable shapes and colors."

"You'll probably still get the heavy-handedness of the propaganda posters," the girl voiced.

"Yes, you'll understand those disgusting lies. Even if you stayed blind you could see it," Dr. Tsuande said harshly, obviously chastising the nurse for interrupting her. "Anyways, we'll try everything we can. But don't get your hopes up."

"I never had any to begin with," Kakashi said blandly.

"I didn't say to be _hopeless_, Hatake," the skilled surgeon snapped before her heels clicked across the room and echoed out in to the hallway. Obviously she was so busy she did not have time to say goodbye.

"I'm sorry about her. She's stressed all the time. A lot of soldiers like you are coming in from the front lines, all missing something. An arm, a leg, their sanity. The hospital has been overrun and she's overworked."

"Is that why they employed a little girl?" Kakashi asked, knowing his quip was grossly exaggerating.

While he could not see it, he could imagine her chest and cheeks puffing out in offense as she said: "I'm _seventeen_, thank you very much."

"Nearly old enough to fight. Shame you're not a boy," Kakashi said aggressively as he turned his face away from her, the pillow cool but uncomforting against his cheek.

She gave a sigh before moving closer, again putting her hand on his like he needed to be helped. Kakashi pulled away, not wanting to feel skin as rough as his for a second time. It was disconcerting for her to obviously have gone through so much despite her young, light voice. It was hard to grasp that even citizens he had fought to protect were put in hardship.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Hatake," she said with a sigh before leaving.

.

It was not that Kakashi hated the hospital. Here he was not coated in mud and comrade's blood, forced to eat stale bread even the rats passed up. And there was this odd person, Guy, who came and visited him sometimes. Apparently he was back from the war as well, although it was his legs that were injured. His wheelchair squeaked and his voice was always pitched way too loud, but Kakashi found himself looking forward to those sounds and their chats.

While he could no longer see, Kaksahi still dreamed. But each time, it was not happy memories his unconscious brain recounted. It was haunting ones of the front, and of Obito's mangled, smiling face, gaping mouth whispering Rins' name repeatedly. Kakashi awoke from those dreams panting, his sweat making the hospital gown stick to his clammy skin. Sometimes he screamed out, and sometimes that girl would be there to help him, to talk him through it.

He should appreciate it, but he hated it. Hated it because she was not always there, and it hurt all the more when she was not.

But most times she was. Kakashi had a suspicion she never left the hospital, and simply slept here like Dr. Tsunade. She would come and read him passages of romance novels ("I am _not_ reading those porny ones aloud in this place of healing and decency! You can wait until you can see the text again yourself."), or to peel and feed him apples. Other times she would just come and talk about her day, or stay and eat lunch with him. Always joking that it was best he could not see the food. He held his tongue at telling her about what soldiers had to contend with, and that this rationing was a luxury.

Either Kakashi was too stubborn to ask, or she to unwilling to give up her identity, because Kakashi still did not know her name. He could recognize her steps, and the feel of her course hands was familiar against his bare back and chest as she checked his lungs (the mustard gas had not seemed to affect him there, but she always explained it was good to do check-ups just to make sure).

Once, he asked Dr. Tsunade about her. He used a nonchalant tone, but he never asked about anything, so it was odd regardless.

"My assistant?" she asked, confusion clear in her voice.

"I thought she was a nurse."

"Well, in a way. She does anything that needs to be done around here, but she's qualified for more than just a nurse's position. I'm actually hoping she'll succeed me, as she's quite the prodigy. Why are you interested?"

"She seems familiar," Kakashi admitted, thinking of what she had said during their first meeting.

Tsuande hummed lightly, pages flipping as she probably read through more of his results. They said his eye was not getting exactly better, but it was not getting worse. They still wrapped his eyes up in bandages, refusing him the chance to check if he could actually see anything. They were talking about doing an experimental surgery, but they still needed to run more preliminary tests.

"You used to be a teacher before you were drafted, yes?" the doctor asked, the clipboard clicking back in place at the foot of his bed.

"Yes," Kakashi admitted, thinking how those days seemed so long ago. Back when if he heard a slam or something break, he thought it was simply just a child dropping something. Not a gun shot or bomb that had just detonated.

"Well, there's your clue," she said.

"I can hear your smirk," Kakashi grumbled.

Tsunade just laughed and patted his arm before walking off to her next patient, heels clicking rhythmically.

.

"Are you scared?"

Kakashi hummed absently around the piece of orange he was currently chewing in answer. The girl had agreed again that she would look no higher than his elbows as he ate. She would not take a peek at his face.

Kakashi constantly wore a mask partly because he was self-conscious about how the gas had given him burns that while now healed, had probably disfigured and scared his face permanently. A larger part of Kakashi wanted to hide something away from her, like she was doing with him.

Kakashi had never asked for her identity, but she was not forthcoming in it either. It seemed they were in a battle of stubbornness, and for once, Kakashi was ready to back down first.

"Will you promise me something?" he asked, lifting his hand while his other adjusted the medical mask back in place.

"What?" she asked, putting an orange slice on it. But he tossed it aside, instead grabbing onto her sticky fingers with his own. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he was not going to let go.

"If I get out-"

"You mean _when_."

Sighing, Kakashi started again: "When I get out of this surgery, and I can see you for the first time, will you finally tell me your name?"

"I think it'll become pretty obvious once you see me," she said with a laugh, even as her fingers tightened over his. "My hair color is a tad unforgettable."

"You were a past student of mine, weren't you?"

"You've been talking with Dr. Tsunade," she said with a grumble that did not sound angry at all.

"Deal?" Kakashi badgered.

"Fine. But only if you stop wearing these silly masks."

"Maybe," he averted, letting go of her hand despite how their skin wanted to seem adhered permanently to each other from the fruit's juice.

.

For the second time in his life, Kakashi awoke with a handful of questions that was only initially answered with blackness. While he did not know what to think of it the first time, now he waited in apprehension for someone to come by.

He did not have to wait long, as he heard the familiar patter of light feet enter his room.

"I see you're awake," she said cheerily, the scrape of a chair's legs echoing out a moment later as she moved it to the side of his bed.

"So?" Kakashi asked, turning towards her even though it was unnecessary.

"Honestly? We'll have to wait and see."

"That isn't funny," he said in a dead monotone.

"It was a little," she said with a bright laugh.

"How long do I have to wait?" Kakashi asked with a huff once her mirth seemed to die down.

"To get away from my bad jokes?"

"To see if I can see," Kakashi said with barely restrained patience. Really, how he had managed to be a teacher for so many years was beyond him. He was rusty with his tolerance for stupidity, that was for sure.

"A few weeks, maybe," she said. There was a rustle of starched clothing, so Kakashi assumed she had shrugged with the statement.

"I hope you have that introduction ready."

"I've had it ready for the entirety of the five months that you've been here," she said, and Kakashi now imagined that she was rolling her eyes. He wondered, not for the first time, what color they were.

He did that a lot: wonder over this person. At first it had been how he did not know her name, and then how she had made it in to some mystery guessing game. Then, how she could be so kind but an utter banshee at the same time. Once she had nearly attacked him for trying to get out of bed without an escort. Him, a blind, helpless man!

And then it was how she had managed to make him fall in love with her with just her voice alone.

.

They waited another month before they said he could try and open his eyes. At first all he could see was a bright, white light. He felt himself tear up from the sudden onslaught on his previously thought dead sense, but slowly that died down.

First he saw the fuzzy outline of Dr. Tsunade, with her pig-tails and expectant brown eyes.

"The pigtails look as good as ever," Kakashi muttered as he blinked, vision clearing a little bit more. It was nothing like his sharp vision he had before, but he could still miraculously see.

He saw a smile bloom over the beautiful doctor's face before Kakashi was distracted by a squeeze at his hand. He turned slowly, and suddenly his vision was now attacked with matching pink hair and lips.

She did look quite young, but the baby fat in her cheeks was long gone from hardship. She seemed like she had grown up prematurely, as her eyes were hard like emeralds.

She had green eyes.

"I glad this eye maintained its color, unlike your other one," she said with a laugh. She put a hand to his cheek, turning his face to inspect it at different angles. "Still the same dark gray."

Suddenly he was thrown back to over ten years ago, when a girl with fluttering pink hair and a red bow above her head stumbled closer to him. She held out a red tulip up to him, smiling coyly. He had taken it, and smiled down to voice his thanks. But she had already ran away back to her blonde friend, her cheeks a pink darker than her hair. He remembered asking Iruka if he got flowers from her, too, but Iruka had just chuckled and shook his head.

"Sakura," Kakashi breathed in astonishment.

She smiled sheepishly at him and Sakura's hand over Kakashi's tightening before she voiced: "Would this be a good time to say I've always liked you?"

* * *

><p>Posted: 10.20.2014<p> 


	9. In the Universe of Returns

Scenario Six: In the Universe of Returns

_One moves away but comes back years later AU_

.

Sakura looked out at the impressive view before her. While her home town was small, the trees that surround it were magnificent, especially when coupled with the late afternoon lighting. The soft sunlight contrasted with the dark greens and browns to create an array of juxtaposition. A fox darted out, long tail swaying behind it, to join the warmth of the sun momentarily, before ducking out of view again.

Sighing, she got up from her perch on the railing to stop sitting and watching. While Sakura had not made any plans with Naruto, it would be obvious which restaurant he would be at this time of day. Hopefully some of her older friends would be there as well. But before she did that, she wanted to stop by her old school.

Leisurely she ambled down the long road she had hiked up, glad she had worn her practical boots. Once she got in to town she walked the familiar streets until arriving at one of the oldest buildings in the village. Looking up, she noted that they still had not fixed that broken clock. In all her childhood years, that clock remained broken, frozen in time despite its purpose.

"Sakura?"

She blinked, and thought it was fitting that he would be the first one to notice her. Or maybe that was why she had come to the school first, and at this hour when she knew students and teachers would be leaving.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said easily, voice not betraying the turmoil of emotions under her vest, or more specifically beneath her ribcage.

Despite how she had not seen him for over eight years, he did not look much different. He still covered his face with those silly medical masks, and he refused to wear an eyepatch to cover up the scar on his left eye. His other right eye seemed as stoic and unfeeling as before. Maybe he looked more tired, but he had always looked exhausted.

"You cut your hair," Kakashi said as he approached her, his satchel bumping against his hip as he went. She noticed the unruly angle of his tie that was only outdone by his hair.

She smiled lightly, and refused to reach up and feel the short length of her bob-cut. The man stopped in front her now, and Sakura found she still had to look up to meet his eye. Kakashi continued staring at her silently, eye open but unreadable. She always hated how emotionless it seemed, even more so than his fake smiles.

"Why are you here?" he asked over the distant sounds of children playing sports. Sakura herself had been on the track team, where she got to know and become close friends with Lee. She wondered if he was doing alright, and hoped he would be competing in the Olympics next summer like he had always dreamed of.

"I can't come and visit home?" Sakura asked, hands moving from staying limp at her sides to her vest's pockets. It was getting cold, and she was glad she had grabbed it as she went out the door this morning to catch her train. She only wished she had remembered to grab a scarf as well, or her trusty black gloves.

"Not when you left and then never came back until now."

Sakura pursed her lips thoughtfully before turning and walking; she heard Kakashi's feet shuffle to follow her. They walked in silence, him trailing behind her like one of his loyal dogs. She also wondered if they were all still alive and healthy. They had been well past pups when she left, but Kakashi had always been so adamant about giving them the best of care. He would starve himself to pay for outrageous vet bills.

As the sun continued its decent, their shadows stretched out further and further before them. Like all the memories and days she could have had here if she had stayed, or even visited. But her pride had been bigger, longer. Sakura finally turned off the old road to come to a small playground, the swings rusty but still working.

"Remember how you used to take me here?" Sakura asked as she went up to the swings, grabbing onto the chain and yanking to see if it could still support her weight.

"With Naruto and Sasuke. That was a long time ago," Kakashi said as he stood beside of her.

"Before you were our high-school teacher," Sakura said as she sat down, the swing creaking in protest but not giving up. "Before I confessed to you."

Kakashi stared at her some more with that hollow eye that reminded Sakura of the unwanted pit of a lychee. She saw Kakashi move out of her peripheral vision to stand behind her. She tensed as his large, warm hands pressed against her back and pushed her forward lightly.

The swing creaked louder than before, and despite its grating tone, it was a welcome sound to fill the silence between them.

"Did you ever manage to find Sasuke in the city?"

Sakura kicked out with her feet, annoyed that he still felt she needed his strength for something so mundane.

"Naruto did," Sakura said as she continued pumping her legs, and Kakashi moved away when he realized he was now just in Sakura's way of swinging freely. He leaned against one of the support beams, the yellow paint flaking off to show the deep rust underneath.

She swung higher and higher, until she threatened to tip herself off at the top angles. Slowing down, and feeling dizzy and more than a little nauseous, she let herself settle. Her feet dragged on the wood chips, dirt puffing up to cling to her black boots.

"Why are you here?"

It was the second time Kakashi had asked it, and she was going to ignore him again just like before.

"I got a scholarship at a high-school there, after convincing my parents to move because I was too smart for this dingy place. And I kept studying, and got a scholarship to go to one of the best medical colleges around. I graduate from it in a few weeks time. Crazy, isn't it? The girl you ignored, going off and taking on the world."

Kakashi sighed, moving a gloved hand to rub at his eyes tiredly.

"Naruto is apprenticing with an author. He wants to be a writer, he'll probably go in to sci-fi or something. He always has the best dreams and imagined scenarios. He still makes us play ninja. Sasuke, he's doing alright. After years, we finally convinced him to leave that horrid man who was extorting him for his family's remaining wealth. He might even be returning here soon, since he can never leave Naruto alone for long. The dope's already here, but you probably already knew that. He really is just that loud."

Her mouth stopped its ramblings and she became entirely still, feet planted squarely on the rotted wood chips. She felt Kakashi's gaze still on her, the stare unwavering and incessant. She refused the wish to turn and glare at him, or to slap him. Anything to make him have some sort of reaction to her.

"I meant what I said. Even if I was only fifteen, I meant it. I still do."

"Sakura…"

"I remember, when I was six, I fell trying to keep up with Naruto and Sasuke. I scrapped up my knees and palms really bad. You were just wandering along, probably walking home from high-school, and literally stumbled over me. You helped me up, and ruined your handkerchief to wipe up the blood. And then you bandaged me up, as if it was entirely normal for a teenage boy to have a full-stalked first aid in his bag."

"Obito was quite reckless back then."

Sakura looked over at him and smiled, but he was not looking at her. Instead Kakashi's eye focused on the last remaining lights against the tree tops. Street lights were popping in to existence with their warm glow.

"When I was eight I realized I was in love with Sasuke, and you helped me make him valentines day chocolate. I let you have all the ruined chocolate, and you ate it even though you hated sweets."

"I threw up because of it," Kakashi said lightly.

"I remember when I was twelve, when you came back from the war, a friend and eye forever gone. You never were the same after that."

Sakrua could remember it, how his hair was sheered short, as well as his hope. He had always covered up his face, but after his return it became an obsessive habit. Maybe because Obito's own face had been blasted off, or because Kakashi did not want the world to see him anymore. To see the failure he believed he had become.

When Sakrua had seen her hero, her forever-protector come home broken, she had cried and cried like never before. She would only cry like that again when Sasuke had left, lured away with false promises by a man who had no good intentions for the youth.

"You convinced Ino to give all those flowers for Obito, and even Rin," Kakashi said, and Sakura jumped when she realized he had moved to stand behind the other swing. With a slight huff, he took a step up to stand on the plastic strip. Kakashi's hands held on to the chains, body tense but balanced as he swung a bit before settling.

"And then you became my teacher," Sakura said with a bitter laugh.

She remembered the days in the halls, distancing herself from him so there would be no suspicions despite their past familiarity. She remembered how easily she passed all the math tests he gave, and how he gave her the same stupid cartoon face in celebration for perfect marks. Those test were still stored in her desk drawers at home, no doubt dusty and nearly eaten through by bugs. She hoped at least one of the smiling faces was still intact.

She had only stayed one year at the high-school, but she had learned so much. Not only about subjects she had no problem memorizing, but her friends and the complicated reasons people acted the way they did. Their town was small and secretive, not many people knew about it or where it was, but it still had a good amount of histories and dramas between the established families.

"And then you apparently realized you had feelings for me," Kakashi answered. "Is that why you stayed away?"

"Did you get my postcards?" Sakura asked lightly as she begun to swing again. This time it was only her legs that propelled her, and not Kakashi's warm hand against her back to push her off. He remained still before Sakura, the only movement coming from his hair that hair ruffled in the occasional gust of wind.

"Genma makes fun of me for pinning them up," he shared. "And always postcards, so I didn't have a return address to send anything back. I see you haven't lost any of your craftiness."

Sakura continued swinging; Kakashi continued standing; the chains continued squeaking.

"Why are you here, Sakura?"

Maybe that saying about third time is the charm was correct in some way. Sakura stopped swinging, feet planting on the ground harshly and suddenly. She got up and stood, grabbing on to Kakashi's swing.

Kakashi looked down at her, and he seemed truly inquisitive as Sakura took a step, placing her feet between his on the thick slab of plastic. She balanced precariously, grabbing the chains just below his own fists. They swayed together slightly, and Sakura noticed that the sun had set. Kakashi's silver hair seemed eerily beautiful and illuminated in the encroaching darkness.

"You're going to break the swing."

"I wanted to tell you again: I love you."

Kakashi sighed, and then leaned forward to rest his chin against her head. She could feel his heartbeat against her own chest as she rested her forehead against this collarbone.

"What now, Sakura? What do you want me to do?"

Of course he would offer his help, as he always had. Her own personal guard Sakura had always depended on.

"I'm going to study with Dr. Tsunade now. I'm moving back here."

Slowly, and gently so as not to rock the swing, Kakashi moved a hand to curve around the back of her neck, fingers rough but so painfully soft in their gesture. His thumb passed along her artery, and Sakura resisted the urge to shiver at how trusting she was with a soldier that had killed.

Kakashi had always done this same gesture when she was younger: put a hand on her neck like a mother lioness picking up a cub. But she had never felt any parental feelings from it, and instead thought of it as Kakashi's most intimate gesture to her. He was offering nothing and there was nothing to take from it, but still Sakura cherished it.

"I missed you," he admitted, and Sakura shivered as she felt the reverberations from Kakashi's confession echo through her chest and up to her head. She knew he missed her in a different way, that it was not the same yearning she felt for him. Just like his touch. But if she had come across his mind at least briefly in the near decade she had been away, she would accept it.

But she would not live off of these tentative scraps of platonic affection any longer.

Leaning back and away from him, Sakura gave him a tentative smile before leaning up and kissing his masked cheek. Just like she had in thanks for all their previous adventures together, from the cuts to the chocolates. Then she carefully dropped down from the swing, the rusted metal giving out another threatening squeal.

"I'll see you around, Kakashi," Sakura said with a smile and parting wave that was signaling not a parting, but the beginning of something new. Because Sakura was not going to give up, now that she was back and confident in her ability and self.

She almost felt bad for Kakashi, knowing how much Sakura was going to make him love her in return.

Sakura heard squeaks and rattles of metal and turned around curiously. She nearly tripped at the sight of Kakashi swinging, his hair a blur of silver and his slacks becoming rumbled from his activities. He was finally moving, rocking madly as he continued standing, and Sakura found herself grinning wide at the sight. She had to believe it was a sign of things to come: it just _had_ to be.

"It's nice to have you back, Sakura," Kakashi called, voice nearly overtaken by the swing's squawking.

* * *

><p>Posted: 11.9.2014<p> 


	10. In the Universe of Mistakes

A note: So this was me coping with that bitter ending, and I actually really like how it turned out. Cheers!

* * *

><p><span>Scenario Seven: In the Universe of Mistakes<span>

_What is the worst possible thing that can happen to your main character? Make that thing happen AU - found from the tumblr fanficy-prompts_

.

Kakashi hated being a ghost.

It was utterly disgraceful, that the great Copy Nin was lame enough to die in the last battle that encompassed their entire history as shinobi. And it was not even a heroic death, as he had simply fainted from excursion, resulting in a coma that he never awoke from. Naruto and Sasuke had lost arms, and _they_ had survived.

The only thing worse than his non-existence was how Kakashi was not allowed to go to the great beyond. He was could not see his father, or finally get to know the mother Kakashi only had brief memories about. He could not see Obito and Rin and how stupid they acted with each other now that they had finally found each other. No, Kakashi had to get tied down to this village even in the afterlife and watch everyone live on.

Well, at least Guy had cried at his funeral. No one else had.

Kakashi knew the world would continue after his death, but he was surprised to see just how quickly it did. Kakashi watched his team and all their friends grow up and out in their bodies and abilities. Then everyone was starting to pair off, some couplings expected, some entirely new.

As the days passed, and Kakashi continued to watch his close comrades get older, he was reminded of what his father had said so long ago when Kakashi had first died. Sakumo had explained that he had been forced to wait for Kakashi, so maybe Kakashi was forced to remain here because there was something he had yet to accomplish.

But that made no sense. Kakashi had no family to worry over, the ninken were self-sufficient enough until they found a new master, and all his possessions were distributed among the close circle of his friends. Naruto took the picture of his first team, smiling now that he had at least one picture of his two dead father figures, Sasuke predictably took his weapons, and oddly enough Sakura took his Icha-Icha collection, their team picture (despite how she still had her own) and Mr. Ukki.

Days and nights passed by effortlessly for Kakashi, and he attended the weddings of Naruto to Hinata and Sakura to Sasuke out of pure boredom. Still, Kakashi liked to think that if he was alive his heart would be beating in pride and happiness. It made this infuriating loneliness lesson if but for a moment.

Soon enough there was a little army of children running around, Team 7's children included.

Kakashi had thought it was hard to accept he was dead, that he was still stuck invisible in the world of the living. More alone than he had ever dreamed feeling. But he was sure that pain was nothing compared to Sakura's as she continuously fell more and more out of love with Sasuke.

She had always been so straight forward, so solid in her feelings for the dark haired Uchiha. When Sasuke had been a raving maniac who had nearly killed himself and Naruto, she had dutifully healed his arm and cared for him. She had accepted him back in to her arms and heart, like he had never left with treachery and hate all those years ago.

Sakura was supposed to get the happy ending Kakashi had been denied. She deserved everything she had fought, cried and bled over. All she had wanted was her childhood love to come to fruition, but all Sakura had come away with were ashes from the man of her dreams. Soon Sasuke was spending more time wandering the earth, still trying to find himself, than with his wife and daughter. Yes, Sasuke showed moments of affection for her, but never his love. Never the strong, bright emotion he felt for his brothers Itachi and Naruto.

The days and seasons continued on, and while Sakura was anything but a loving mother and dedicated doctor, she continued to look more and more tired. Older than she should. She ate less, and slept less, making her eyes seem a dull jade than the vibrant green they should be.

So Kakashi picked up after the idiot Uchiha, and it felt he was back to his young age with Obito and Rin all over again. One hapless Uchiha, and one girl who could heal anyone but herself.

Kakashi helped around the house doing whatever was needed so Sakura could focus on her daughter and the hospital. He helped the flowers grow and cleaned the house. He made sure to check the refrigerator for moldy food, and did the laundry when it began to pile up. Sakura probably thought it was her daughter or Ino helping out, as the ghost of her ex-sensei was a little farfetched.

Kakashi was watering Mr. Ukki, thinking it would be hilarious if this plant managed to live longer than him, when he realized something. Kakashi finally had the domestic, peaceful life he had always been denied. All it had taken was dying.

He began laughing at that, but it was causing the cabinets to open and close in loud clacks, so he stopped. Sometimes he forgot how much of an influence he had grown to have in this world. Or, least in some aspects of this world. Becuase no matter how he tried, Kakashi could not communicate with the living.

But even that changed one day.

It did not start out special, as Sakura went off to the hospital, holding her daughter's hand protectively in hers to take her to the Academy. Recently Sakura had started to look healthier, but it was probably because of how well her daughter was excelling at school. If there was one brightness in Sakura's life that helped to replace the void Sasuke left each time he went away, it was the glass-wearing girl.

Hours passed as Kakashi puttered around doing dishes, collecting dust, and reorganizing the bookshelf the little girl had recently messed up. Kakashi had already hidden away the Icha-Icha volumes in Sakura's closet so her inquisitive eyes did not read something she would not understand.

After doing the usual chores, Kakashi decided to tackle the plaque that had built up in the upstairs bathroom. He heard the front door open and close, and for the little girl to run outside to check up on the tomato plants. Like Sasuke, she was entirely obsessed with the vegetables.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?"

"Give me a moment more, Sakura, I'm nearly done with this," Kakashi said with a grunt as he scrubbed the tub. But a moment later, as the situation caught up with him, his hands stilled. Kakashi turned around with wide eyes to see Sakura staring directly back at him as he squatted in the tub, not feeling the soap suds as they trailed down his forearms.

"You can see me," Kakashi stated, letting the brush drop in a clatter and standing up.

Some odd sound escaped out of Sakura's throat that was a half hiccup, half whimper, before she was sobbing out: "Oh, _Kakashi_!"

Sighing as she started crying huge, fat tears and her chest heaved, Kakashi stepped out of the bath and moved closer to the girl he had mentored briefly who was now a beautiful, but still so very tired, woman.

"It's good to see you too, Sakura," Kakashi spoke, wishing he could ruffle her hair. Or pin her to the wall with a searing kiss.

But Kakashi knew it was pointless, especially when Sakura reached forward and her hand passed through his chest like he was not even there. Because Kakashi truly was not, and she was grasping for a shadow.

Kakashi managed to convince her to come back downstairs and to sit on the couch. He checked that her daughter was still outside (she was seriously watering everything now, the considerate child), before making a pot of tea.

"How can you do that, when I can't touch you," Sakura said with a frown as she accepted the cup Kakashi offered her.

"These things were never alive," Kakashi said as he sat on the couch, a cup in his hand for presentation alone. "I think it's just a force of nature to not allow the dead and living to touch," Kakashi said. It was not the best explanation, but it was the only thing he had decided was realistic after all these years of wondering the exact same thing.

Sakura was still staring at him with wide green eyes, and Kakashi offered her what he hoped to be a comforting smile.

"You seem so real. You look exactly the same."

"It's the mask. Keeps me looking youthful," Kakashi said with a wink. It was funny, how Naruto had been so careful to give him a new eye, but he had died before he could really use it.

Despite how Sakura could now see him, not much changed. After a few days she invited her daughter to meet him as well, but was adamant that this was their little secret. That they could tell no one about their guardian ghost, as Kakashi would be taken away from them. (Mostly it was just so Naruto would not find out and bother him constantly.) The girl instantly understood, and stared up at Kakashi in wonder.

Kakashi had always wanted to have a daughter.

Years passed, and Kakashi continued to stay in a world no longer fit for him. To help the teammate he had ignored and the woman he had fallen in love with from a world away. The little girl grew up strong, becoming a chunin and then a skilled jonin medic that rivaled Sakura's ability. Kakashi felt that he had more reason to be proud over her accomplishments than her biological father. After all, it was Kakashi who had helped her understand her Sharingan. They had both giggled over how Sasuke had just taken it as natural talent.

Sakura retired from the hospital when she had hair nearly as silver as Kakashi, and moved out of the house to a cottage on the outskirts of the city. She barely saw Sasuke now, despite how many other people she went to see and who came and visited her.

Kakashi still made tea for two every afternoon, despite how he still could not drink it. And every time Sakura politely looked away as he threw the steaming liquid over his shoulder in to the grass to keep up their pretense.

* * *

><p>Posted: 11.12.2014<p> 


	11. In the Universe of Fairytales

Scenario Eight: In the Universe of Fairytales

_Little Red Ridinghood AU_

.

"Got a delivery for ya, Sakura-chan!"

Sighing, the girl addressed put aside the novel she had been reading to look up at her bubbly blonde bestie. Naruto had that same smile on, but there was a gleam in his eye hinting to something more. Probably a favor he had no intention to return.

"So Granny Tsunade ordered some ramen, but Lee's out, meaning I need you to fill in!"

Sakura sighed and stood, carefully putting a crease on her latest page so she would not lose her spot. When she had agreed to take this job, as Naruto would not shut up about how great it was to eat free ramen all the time, Sakura was more interested in the tips. Of course it would turn out that they did not need a waitress (what with pretty Ino and Hinata) but instead just needed someone to do all the random jobs no one else bothered to do.

Enter: Sakura. As if it was not hard enough having such a unique hair color people stopped and stared daily. She had to be everyone's proverbial, and not literal, glorified gopher.

"Fine," Sakura muttered as she grabbed her trusty red vest. The weather had decided to take a turn, and she was not going to get stuck freezing in snow.

"Also the bike is broken, and since you don't have your parents' car today, you'll have to walk," Naruto said cheerily as he placed the wooden box full of hot steaming soup and ingredients inside before her. No doubt her time limit was already getting threatened, as ramen noodles had a nasty habit of getting soggy much too fast. Even when they were kept separate from the broth.

"I'm just glad I wore my boots today," Sakura said with a sigh before picking up the large wooden box like it weighed nothing.

.

Sakura walked through the snowy path at a brisk pace, her boots stomping down on the virgin snow to create a trail of footprints. She would be mad at Tsunade for living so far outside of the village if Sakura was not allowed to stay over whenever she needed to get away from her parents. Mostly it was just to be able to study all night long without their nagging.

Shivering, Sakura turned around and glared. But all she noticed was her footprints that were already disappearing under a fresh carpet of falling snow. If she had not grown up in this area, Sakura would be worried about getting lost in the seemingly infinite pines.

"There's nothing there, idiot," Sakura muttered to herself before continuing on. She pulled the hood up of her vest, hoping it would ward off the chill a little better. While she had not forgotten her favorite black gloves, she was annoyed over not having a scarf. She should really get on that. Maybe a nice long, thick green one to match her eyes.

Smiling, she could already imagine it now. If only she would stop spending her money on so many books...

Feeling that familiar tingle yet again, Sakura turned around and sent a glare to the mystery follower. Because this time she was _sure_ she had felt another's presence. She had dealt with both Lee and Naruto practically stalking her when she was younger, so she had learned how to hone and trust her additional sense.

"Hello? I've got a really heavy box of ramen and I'd hate to hurt you with it."

A deep sigh rung out from the forrest, and Sakura tensed, but she heard nothing else and no one emerged.

.

"The forest was so creepy walking out here," Sakura said with a shiver as she wrapped the blanket Tsunade had given her tighter around her slight shoulders.

"Oh?" her blonde mentor asked absently as she made about warming sake. Usually people would offer their students warm tea, but of course this retired doctor was anything but ordinary. Honestly, Sakura liked the taste more than she cared to admit. And it was not like she had a bike to ride back. Not that she did not already have a high tolerance Tsuande said was the reason she had picked Sakura to be her apprentice.

"It felt like something was staring at me, and then following me," Sakrua said before taking the first sip of the warm alcohol.

"Maybe it's the White Flash, although they say he died _years_ ago," Tsunade commented.

"The White Flash?"

"A giant, powerful silver wolf that used to roam these parts. They say he was searching for the ghost of his one true love, or his honor. I can never remember which one," Tsunade said as she drifted off.

"Still, it was creepy. Try not to order so late anymore, alright? Or if you do, make sure Lee is actually around to run the food over," Sakura said with a shake of her bright head.

.

Apparently Lee broke his legs. Not just one- _both_ of them. If Sakura was not so annoyed at having to be the person to make deliveries, she probably would visit him in the hospital.

Of course this meant that Sakura was the one who had to take out orders to Tsunade. Lately Sakura was getting the feeling her mentor was just ordering to bring her around.

It made sense, as she lived alone with only her pet slugs, as all those who had been close to her had unfortunately passed. As much as Sakura had not liked Jiraiya's lecherous behavior, he had always had a knack for making Tsunade laugh. Maybe Sakura should pick up that series that he had written and was apparently critically acclaimed.

Every time Naruto told her the order, Sakura would sigh, put on her hooded red vest, and set out in to the dark night. And every time it would feel like someone was watching her once she got to the heart of the forest. But no matter what curses she spat, or cowardly nicknames she created, whoever was following her never revealed themselves.

Sakura believed it a guy, because while they never spoke, sometimes a sigh would echo out from the shadows. It was always deep and heavy, weighed down with either emotion or drama. Sakura never really stuck around to find out, as the sound usually just made her feet move faster.

.

A few days later Sakura was walking to Tsunade's cottage once again, this time with only a side order of miso soup tucked safely in her arm. Her nose was buried in one of Jiraiya's books (this one titled _Icha-Icha Make Out Tactics_ if she remembered correctly, but she had been reading them so fast they were all somewhat blurring). If she was not so familiar with this path, Sakura was sure she would have fallen flat on her face long ago.

She was so distracted that when Sakura felt something wet and cold prod at her elbow, she thought it just a damp leaf. So after she swatted at it, and it still incessantly nudged at her, she frowned. It definitely held more substance than dead vegetation.

Sakura looked down and her two green eyes met a sole black one belonging to a massive silver wolf.

Instantly the teenager stopped walking, and the book fell from her hands to land in the snow silently. The wolf's ears pinned back and he moved to pick up the book tenderly between powerful jaws. He lifted it back up to her, but Sakura was too shocked at the kind way it was treating the book and the massive fangs that could easily rip through her throat.

It did a deep huff, as if trying to tell her something, but Sakura only managed to continue gaping.

The wolf rolled one eye before sitting up on its back legs before fiddling with large paws to put the book in to the left pocket on her vest. The animal leaned back and nodded solemnly, and Sakura took the time to note that it _indeed_ was a boy, and that its closed eye had a jagged scar running along it.

As if his intentions had not been clear before, his nose the size of her fist nudged again at her elbow that securely held the container of miso.

.

There were many things Sakura could ask this giant beast about. Like how he had found himself in their sleepy, hidden town that barely anyone paid any attention to or knew about. How he had learned to sit up on his back legs and use his paws like hands. Why he seemed to hold more intelligence than she had in that one black eye. Of course Sakura did not go with any of those options.

"Are you trying to get a free meal or something?"

The wolf lazily blinked an eye before shrugging, and that action alone had Sakura taking a wary step back. Well, good to know that her legs still worked after all.

Sakura stayed standing, just watching the snow fall around and making the wolf before her nearly invisible in the monotone world. Unlike her with her garish hair and bright vest, the wolf looked like he belonged.

He tilted his head and lazily blinked again, and then did that odd huff that was not even a real bark again.

Finally Sakura's mind caught up on the situation, and the teenager bolted.

.

"So you did meet the White Flash," Tsunade said with a great smile and laugh.

"You never said anything over his freaky scar or eerily calm behavior," Sakura snapped as she downed too much sake at once, causing her to cough in to her elbow.

"That doesn't sound like the old wolf," Tsunade said with a frown. "You sure he was silver?"

"Kinda hard to miss, what with him being the size of a pony," Sakura managed to get through her coughs. "He did look kinda scarwny though. Maybe I really should have given him your miso soup. It's not like you eat half the things you order."

But the blonde ignored most of Sakura's statement, and instead only seemed to have heard her first statement as she commented: "The White Flash was the size of a horse. Maybe this is his son or something."

Sakura frowned, and took a much more measured gulp of sake this time.

.

Sakura refused to take any more orders out to the forest after that, and Lee was healed soon enough so it was not much of a problem. She tried to offhandedly talk about it with the energetic boy with two healed legs but still a tragic case of a bad bowl-cut, but Lee just looked at her in confusion before shaking his head.

Because he had never seen anything like a wolf before. Although apparently the multiple squirrels who came out to see him for the nuts he offered sure were cute.

It both annoyed and confused Sakura. She suppose it hat taken a long time (nearly the entire winter) to get the wolf to stop skulking after her and reveal himself. What she had not expected was for him to want to treat the porn so carefully, to ask for the soup, and then to let her go without a fight.

.

"Freeloader wolf? Hello-o?"

Sakura sighed and put down her hands that had been cupped around her mouth to carry her voice. It was silly really, to think that the animal would just be sitting around waiting for her. Still, Sakura wished she could see him, if only to apologize for her behavior.

In her defense, it was not everyday she saw a massive wolf that just lazily blinked and had not even attempted to go for her jugular. It was almost scarier how it had acted so human.

Shaking her head, Sakura continued bravely on with a cup of steaming miso before her.

It did not take long before the wolf appeared with its nose held high. In contrast to before, its bright form seeming out of place as spring was close approaching. It trotted closer to Sakura and sniffed at the cup she had lowered to the still-hard ground. Its single eye studied her for a moment before he was lapping up the soup. Sakura continued to stand and watch.

The wolf stood, licked its lips, and then gave her a parting nod before leaving.

"Am I the new Princess Mononoke or something?" Sakura asked in a daze.

.

Sakura was no longer afraid of the wolf, and found herself actually volunteering for the deliveries to Tsunade. It really was not so bad, and since it took so long to get out there, it allowed for Lee to do more deliveries in the time it would take him to do just that one.

Now she carried a thermos at all times, despite how it was not cold anymore and Sakura turned in her puffy vest for something lighter. But by no means less red, as it was one of the colors that went along with her hair and eyes.

Sometimes the wolf came out, and other times he did not. Sakura learned that either he was extremely aloof, just shy, or really was only tempted to come out at the idea of a free meal. She liked to think it was a mixture of all three, and she found herself looking forward to luring out the strange beast.

Eventually she would note him waiting at the edge of the forest as she appeared each time, his one eye ominous in the late dusk or early night.

.

Sakura trotted out on to the familiar path on her way to her almost-daily lessons with Tsunade. While it was not any conventional medicinal practices, as the blonde favored her own potions made from herbs and various items, Sakura still enjoyed learning the older medicine style.

While she liked entertained the thought of becoming a modern doctor, Sakura could see herself living out her life in a cottage similar to Tsunade. Chopping her own wood, growing her own plants, and always having snacks waiting for when her friends decided to visit. Now if only her parents could accept that she wanted to be a hermit.

"Hello," Sakura said kindly as a familiar flash of silver caught her eye.

The wolf stared a her for a long moment before walking forward, his nose nudging against the pack at her hip where she usually kept the miso soup for him.

"I didn't bring any today, the store was out of tofu," she said with a frown and pat against the wolf's head.

But he just shook his head before he lifted a paw the size of Sakura's face and gestured at the air in front of her pack. Frowning, Sakura opened her bad and tensed as the wolf's muzzle shot inside and pulled out a bright orange book.

"T-That's not mine," Sakura said as she tried to take back the book. While the books were engaging, it did not take long for her to learn Naruto was well versed in them, and he would give her stupid smirks whenever she brought out the series.

Also the mothers on the bus. But Sakura supposed she deserved that for reading porn so blatantly in public.

.

Sakura made a grab for the book, but the wolf just danced out of her way, and then shot off the path in to the lush underbrush. His bright head poked out a moment later, eye still as droopy as ever, but the book still securely held between his fangs.

"You are _such_ a big bad wolf," Sakrua said with a frown as she debated the situation.

On one hand, chasing after him would mean being late or possibly missing her appointment with Tsunade all together. But if she did not, he would take away her beloved book. And she was not so sure when she would be able to get another one, as she still was underage. The only reason she had managed to buy the series was because she had gotten it at a second-hand shop and the clerk had been a bored young woman.

Sakura could have sworn the creature's tail was wagging behind him as he shot off deeper in to the forrest. Sighing, Sakura straightened her red shirt with purpose before sprinting after the animal.

.

After at least a couple miles of chasing the elusive thing, Sakura stumbled out in to a grassy field.

She found herself speechless as she looked around at the wildflowers in the breeze, and then the abandoned structure in the middle. Hesitantly, she approached it to see only the brick foundation and chimney were in tact. Most of the wooden structure was overgrown with vines and weeds, the roof caved in to allow streams of sunlight to pass through.

Before the fireplace sat the wolf on his side, and when she looked in to his sole eye, his ear flicked absently before huffing down to the book before his paws.

"Do you want a bedtime story or something?" Sakura asked as she walked forward. "This makes me feel like we're 'Beauty and the Beast' or something."

The wolf gave her a blank stare in return.

"Oh shut up, I can be pompous if I want," she said with a snort as she reached to pick up the book.

But just as she was standing and getting ready to leave, his shaggy tail came and knocked her knees in, causing her to instead sit down in a slight tumble. Sitting up, sputtering and trying to fix her hair, Sakura leaned back to jumped at the warm, soft resistance her torso was met with. As she turned her head, she noticed his dark eye was staring at her, and then glanced down to the book.

"You really do want me to read to you," she whispered in amazement.

The wolf's ear twitched again as he gave a deep sigh of what Sakura thought was relief.

.

Turned out that humans were no the only ones who enjoyed Jiraiya's series. Now every time Sakura came in to the woods, she had to be careful to bring an Icha-Icha, so she could read it aloud as she traveled with the wolf at her side.

Once she caught a summer cold, and was forced to stay in from both her lessons with Tsunade and her job. She was shocked to see Naruto and Sasuke visit her with ramen (of course), but was truly shocked when she woke up to scratching at her window. She pulled her comforter a little higher in fright and turned, expecting to see a haunting spirit. It was indeed a large white, ethereal creature, but it was just her wolf.

Her voice was scratchy, and he could not fit on to her bed so they had to sit on the floor, but the wolf still looked happy as she read. He curled up behind her, tucking his tail over her lap to help keep her warm.

Sakura fell asleep with the soft fur and heat surrounding her, but when she woke up she was back in her bed with the covers pulled up. She thought it awfully kind, until she noted the dried drool on the back of her shirt.

.

Sakura sighed as she doodled in the ashy dirt before her. For once the wolf was not at the cottage, so Sakura was forced to be the one waiting around for once. She wanted to read, but decided to wait until her friend came along.

Maybe Sakura should tell someone about the wolf, but Tsuande knew and was not alarmed. And knowing her other friends, they would just freak out before trying to capture the poor beast. And Sakura did not want to inconvenience him in any way, as he had never done anything to harm or bother her. Well, at least not lately.

A part of her argued she should just stay away from him, considering he was still a wild animal. But a bigger part of her argued there was something different about him, something Sakura thought she could reach. Be with it miso or porn, she though they had a good connection.

Or maybe she just really was taking her Princess Mononoke quip too far.

.

When the wolf finally arrived, Sakura had gotten so bored she had resorted to childish henohenomoheji. As much as she enjoyed doodling slugs, she could only repeat the simple shape so many times.

The wolf seemed interested in the simple face, as he pawed at it with a zeal usually reserved for Icha-Icha. Truly he was the laziest thing Sakura knew (except for when it came to sniffing out soup), as she had not heard him bark or howl even once. He only huffed or sighed, and even that was a rare occurrence.

"You like it? We draw it on scarecrows, as you've probably seen," Sakura said with a smile before reaching forward to ruffle his shaggy hair.

He turned away from the drawing to look at her with pleading eyes, and then back down to the face.

"You really like it that much?" Sakura said with a laugh. "Here, I'll show you how to do it."

And so with Sakura wielding a stick, and the wolf wielding a claw, she took him through the steps necessary to make the cartoonish face. She thought there was a smile on his furry face, but it was impossible to know. Sakura watched silently as he repeated the doodle, and then a third time. Now they looked as good as hers.

"How about I call you Kakashi then, huh?"

The wolf looked slowly up and blinked, and Sakura felt herself flush under the gaze. She supposed names and titles were beyond him, as he was really just a force of nature, but Sakura liked the name for him.

.

Despite the biting winter winds that were just beginning, Sakura still took the time away from her busy schedule to go visit her wolf. Kakashi did not follow her around as much, but that was probably because he was busy gathering food and getting fat for the oncoming winter. He was already such a rumpled creature, although maybe he just appeared like that from his slouch and unruly coat.

So when Sakura did not see Kakashi for an entire day, she did not think it odd. But by the time the third day went by, and she had yet to see tail or wet nose from him, she began to worry.

"That wolf you're always going on about?" Tsunade asked as she heated up some sake once again.

"I've told you, his name is Kakashi."

"The White Flash's son, Kakashi, _whatever_," the blond snorted. "And no, I haven't seen him around lately. But then again he barely shows himself to me, unlike with you."

"He's very mysterious," Sakura admitted.

"So stop worrying about the mutt."

Sakura looked out one of the windows to the falling snow. It had been similarly snowing the first time Kakashi had shown himself to her. When he had oddly placed his faith in a teenager with short hair and cold hands.

"He just seems so lonely," Sakura found herself whispering.

.

Like many things in her life, Sakura got tired of waiting and so decided to go against the problem head-on.

Since she was on break from school, it was not hard to get away from her house with the excuse of going to the library for the day. But instead she bundled herself up with her trusty red vest, her black gloves and her new green scarf.

Kakashi had actually brought it to her, with his talk almost wagging behind him again. Sakura wondered where he had gotten it from, but mostly she was in awe of the lovely green fabric that seemed old, but resilient. She had patted him on the head and he had actually leaned in to the touch.

Odd, how that had happened barely two weeks ago, and now she had not seen the furry beast in five days.

Filling up her biggest thermos with miso, Sakura set off in to the blinding white snow.

It felt like she was trekking through the forest for hours before she came across a splash of rusty red against a tree trunk. She brushed her fingers against the frozen sheen before realizing that it indeed was old blood. Frowning, she followed the trunks. It was as if something the same height as her wolf had stumbled through here, knocking against the trunks in an attempt to get away from something.

Sakura gasped as she came across the carcass of a giant snake, its eyes white and frozen over. Some chunks of its body was gone from scavengers, but it seemed like a recent death.

Her hands tightened in to fists, and while Sakura knew she should go get Tsunade and bring her here, Sakura instead continued to follow the trail of blood.

.

"I'm going to take the longest, hottest bath after this," Sakura said as she shivered against the winds.

She had started off early this morning, and soon it would start getting dark. Despite her trusty boots, her feet went numb hours ago and Sakura was starting to feel chilled to her bones. But she had to see this through, and follow along this morbid red dotted map to her final destination.

She expected the trail to lead her to the field, not to a dark cave that made her stare. At first she wanted to turn around, as this was not anywhere Kakashi had taken her. But then she heard a deep whine reverberate out from it, and she recognized that tone. It was the same one that had sounded when she had pulled a nail out of Kakashi's paw a few months back.

"Kakashi?" Sakura called out.

She was answered with a sigh.

.

Entering the cave slowly, Sakura took out her flashlight and clicked it on. A moment later she wished she had not, as she was met with the sight of her majestic wolf with his side seemingly ripped apart. Sakura did not see any bone or oozing organs, but there was enough blood around it was like a donation truck had flipped.

"Oh, Kakashi," Sakura whispered as she edged closer to the wolf that gave another pathetic whine.

Sakura did not know if it was her numb fingers, or her vision clouded by tears, that made her fumble with the top of the thurmous. When she finally got it off, she felt a sob break loose as the soup had gone cold.

"Here, drink up," Sakura said as she edged the cup closer to his muzzle.

But Kakashi just dropped his head aside, his dark eye glazed over.

"You can't die on me," Sakura said as another sob came out of her throat.

Kakashi's eye closed, and he did not even answer her with a whine this time.

Telling herself to calm down, Sakura focused on the crystalized breaths from Kakashi and forced her breathing to match his. Then she took off her scarf to drape it around his neck, like he had just recently done with her.

"I'll bring back Tsuande right now. Don't do anything stupid," she said.

Biting her lip, Sakura reached forward and ran a hand comfortingly along Kakashi's face before getting up and running. She thought she heard her name being called out from the cave, but she told herself it was just the wind.

.

"I thought you said Kakashi was a _wolf_."

"Because he is."

Furrowing her brow as Sakura entered the cave after her mentor, she blinked away the snow that obstructed her vision. And then Sakura saw that Tsuande was not being rude, as indeed there was a naked man lying face down on the ground. Only his face was hidden by the green scarf Sakura had left him with.

"I-I-" Sakura struggled to stammer. "I swear he was."

Tsuande hummed before crouching down, because wolf or not, his side was still torn apart. His pale skin had a sickly purple coloring that radiated out form the wound, and Sakura wondered if she had not seen it before because of his fur.

"So he was the one who killed that bastard snake," Tsunade snorted. "If only he had avoided the poison he probably would have been fine."

"Can you fix him?"

"Of course I can. Who do you think me and my slugs are?"

Sakura decided to move closer to his head. She saw that same scar, and the unruly silver hair was every bit like her Kakashi. Hesitantly, she reached her hand forward and ran a hand through his hair like she had done before sprinting to Tsunade.

That same whine sounded, and Sakura felt tears well up once again.

"It's going to be alright now, Kakashi," she whispered soothingly.

.

Sakura followed Tsunade back to her home before returning to the cave with a mattress, clothes and wood for a fire. Her mentor asked if she needed help, but Sakura said this was nothing compared to the boulder exercises Tsuande put her through. Because of course the blonde would believe Sakura needed to be strong in body as well as mind. How that equated to having an unusual amount of strength, Sakura did not know. But at the moment she was thankful for her monstrous ability as she hauled back all the supplies.

It was fairly simple to set everything up, and Kakashi did not look so pale anymore when Sakura returned. After he was buried inside the bedding, Sakura climbed in along with him and tucked herself alongside him. Kakashi was still cold despite the fire and layers.

Tsunade agreed to call her parents to say that she would be staying over with her for a week of special training, and then turned to Sakura with a glare that spoke of 'die and you'll be in big trouble' for having to say such a bold lie.

.

When Sakura woke up, the first thing she noticed was her mouth was full of hair. At first she thought that it was only Kakashi's fur, but then she remembered that he was no longer a beast but a human like her.

Moving away slowly, so as not to antagonize his stitches, Sakura opened her eyes to see that the scarf wrapped around Kakashi's face was still present, and that he was still sleeping soundly.

So Sakura went about cleaning his bandages, and then layering back the blankets to bury him in more pile of blankets. Knowing that might not be enough, she restored the fire to its former burning glory.

With nothing else to do, Sakura fidgeted on top of Kakashi's bedding before pulling out Icha-Icha Paradise. And as old habits die hard, she found herself reading aloud to him. It was funny in a way, that despite how Kakashi was a human now, he would be unable to understand from his unconsciousness. Before as a wolf he had always been attentive and receptive to the books.

Giving a glance to his hidden face, Sakura wished to have her friend back. Fur, or without.

.

Sakura did not have to wait long, as after another night Kakashi woke up.

She did not actually see him wake up, as Sakura had her eyes trained to Icha-Icha text. But after a moment passed she recognized that familiar gaze, and turned to see what it was about in habit. Sakura had nearly jumped and busted her head against the cave's ceiling at seeing that sole dark eye fixed on her again.

"You're awake! Are you alright?" she asked in a hurry.

Kakashi just blinked at her silently for a moment, and Sakura allowed herself the chance to study the visible part of his face. Kakashi's eyes seemed tired, and he looked older than she was.

"Cursed," he spoke in a rough voice.

"You're... cursed?" Sakura asked in shock.

"The snake, it said I would have to live through my biggest disgrace. Cursed," Kakashi repeated again, turning his face away from Sakura further so that all she could see was his silver hair and green scarf.

.

Kakashi did not speak after that, but was always attentive like before when Sakura spoke to him as a wolf. He obeyed when she told him to take off his shirt to check his side, or when she asked him to help her with dinner.

He had tried to eat raw animals like before once, but had found it did not work as it had. Sakura was sure Kakashi would have lived on a liquid diet of miso soup if she had not tried making saury that he had immediately ate. So now he was on a fish _and_ miso soup diet.

Sakura inevitably had to return to school, but she still visited Kakashi everyday after it. She took time away from her job so she could trek out to the cave and stay for a bit without her parents worrying if she was doing anything worrisome.

Of course she was not, but the situation did seem like that. As Kakashi was unaccustomed to lacking his pelt, leaving him shivering in the winter more often than not and grasping her closer for heat like she had done that first night. And it did not help that the only way to make him go to sleep was to read him porn.

.

Eventually spring came along, and Kakashi was well enough to walk. Or, learn how to walk, as he still stubbornly had crawled around on all fours in the cave. But now it was impossible to allow that, and Sakura tried her hardest to deal with his new legs.

Still Kakashi did not speak, and Sakura was beginning to worry over him. He seemed more withdrawn than before, and did not seek affection from her like he had before. Whenever Sakura lifted a hand to pat his head, or maybe touch his arm, he shied away from her with his dark eye narrowed.

It reminded Sakura of how Sasuke had shied away from her after discovering she had feelings for him when they were twelve. But this hurt was deeper, and unlike with Sasuke, she did not have the stupidity to charge blindly ahead.

Because now she was mature enough to accefpt that maybe Kakashi did not want to be touched by a human. He had seemed pretty depressed when he had explained the situation beforehand. Maybe he just saw Sakura as another disgrace.

.

Tsunade came to visit them twice, first to collect her slugs and a second time to check up on his progress. Both times Kakashi had seemed curious, but still aloof towards Sakura's mentor.

"I thought you said he liked to be petted like a dog," Tsunade whispered as they walked away, leaving a surly Kakashi behind to put his clothes back on. Even though there was no more snow around, he still stubbornly adjusted the scarf to cover more of his face.

Kakashi refused to see his reflection when Sakura offered him a mirror, and Sakura knew covering his face was just his way of coping with being stuck as a man and not the guardian animal he had been born as. If he could not change it, he would ignore it.

"He used to," Sakura moped.

Sighing, Tsunade pulled her prized pupil in to her significant cleavage before saying: "Love is a complicated thing, huh kid?"

"You sound like some mystical mage," Sakura muttered.

.

Sakura tried finding Kaksahi a few times, but it was like he became even more stealthy. Apparently he was also avoiding Tsunade, which Sakura thought was truly idiotic. They wanted to help him heal, but he just kept running away. Truly, he would collapse from overexertion one of these days. That, or getting suffocated by that scarf.

Because he never took it off, even as summer approached. And it was driving Sakura crazy.

Sakura found herself wondering over the wolf-now-man often. She hoped Kakashi was doing alright in his new skin, and was not treating it like he had when he was a wolf. She had explained that like with raw red meat, he could not sustain himself on what he had eaten before. That he could also not put his body through such harsh treatments.

Kakashi had not said anything, but he had always been a good listener.

He had also always been a good friend, but lately Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

.

One day in class, when Sakura had been looking out the window in boredom, remembering it was only two more weeks until graduation now, she saw a dash of green and silver at the school gate.

She pressed her face against the glass to try and get a closer view, but then it was gone.

Had Kakashi come seeking her out on her scent alone? Maybe his senses were not dulled down to the level of a humans, and it had only been a physical change of his body. Either way, Sakura found herself wishing she could sprint out and go see if that really had been him.

"Miss Haurno?"

Taking her face away from the glass, and noticing the residual smudge she had left behind with a wince, Sakura turned to see her teacher and classmates staring at her curiously.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," Sakura apologized as she bowed her head.

Her homeroom teacher continued to study her for a few moments more, to make sure she really was paying attention, before going back to graduation details.

Sighing, Sakura glanced back out the window and continued searching for Kakashi.

.

Sakura went to see Kakashi immediately after she graduated, because she wanted to tell him about it. He had spent hours going over math problems and science questions with her, and Kakashi had been as inquisitive as ever. He pawed at passages for her to re-read, or explain more so he could wrap his head around. Although that was rare, as he seemed to be even smarter than Sakura.

Even if Kakashi did not want to see her, Sakura wanted to make sure he knew that she was finally done with high-shcool and her future was wide open before her. And that she wanted him to be a part of it.

She went to the clearing, and felt a pang of nostalgia at the bright grass and flowers. It had been a few months since she had been out here. The last time she had come and waited for Kakashi for hours before leaving at sunset.

"Kakashi?" she called out hesitantly. And then again with more volume and courage: "Kakashi!"

Unlike previous times, he appeared behind the cottage that Sakura noted how it did not look dilapidated at all anymore. In fact, it looked neat and tidy, with a little garden aside of it. And carved on the front door was that scarecrow face she had taught him so long ago.

Sakura smiled at his appearance, but then jumped as suddenly she was being bombarded with eight dogs.

.

"They've wanted to meet you," she heard a deep voice say, and looked up to see Kakashi offering her a hand out of the puppy pile.

Sakura nodded dumbly before she grabbed on, and Kakashi effortlessly pulled her up from the various shades of brown fur and pink tongues. He gave a slight growl to the still bouncing dogs, and they sat and stilled immediately.

"I've told them a lot about you when I was waiting," he continued to speak. "I am sorry if you thought I was ignoring you. I just had to make sure that if I can not protect the forest like I could before, to set up some new precautions."

"So you picked up all the stray dogs in the village," Sakura said in awe.

Kakashi shrugged before saying: "They are not as stubborn as wolves."

Sakura found herself smiling and tearing up one again over this stupid creature before pulling Kakashi in for a hug.

.

"I missed you."

"I missed your scent. And the porn. They won't let me buy it, since I don't have any money."

Sakura laughed brokenly in to Kakashi's shoulder before saying: "And I'm sure hiding your face constantly does not help matters much."

Kakashi did not answer her with words, and instead just tightened his arms around her as the dogs around them sniffed. When Sakura began to feel she may not breathe, and blamed it on Kakashi's tight hold, she pulled herself away from his chest.

"I think I'm going to kiss you right now," Sakura stated, thinking that if she voiced her thought it would make more sense. But no, it still sounded weird and surreal, but she could not deny it was the truth.

"What's that?" Kakashi asked with his brow furrowed and a slight tilt of his head. "Some odd human ritual?"

Laughing, Sakura reached forward and, ignoring his growl, pulled Kakashi's scarf down before closing her eyes and pressing her lips against hers.

.

When she pulled away, she opened her eyes to see the briefest smile on Kakashi's face before he was doubling over in a grunt.

"What did you _do_ to me?" Kakashi asked as he gripped at his chest.

"Are you having heartache?" Sakura ventured to ask, but shut her mouth as Kakashi looked up with a vicious glare and a snap of his teeth that looked much more sharp that she would think them to be.

When Kakashi fell to his knees, Sakura realized something was really wrong. As she crouched down aside of him, Sakura was pushed away a moment later as Kakashi expanded in size and hair.

On her back, Sakura blinked up at the bright blue sky before nine furry heads entered her vision, all giving her concerned looks.

"You're a wolf again," Sakura observed smartly.

.

"I see you two have indulged in a true love's kiss," Tsunade said as she arrived on the scene as her frantic student trailed behind her.

Kakashi trotted up to Sakura and gave out a high whine before butting his large head against her chest. Then he looked back to the busty blonde with his dark eye silently pleading.

"You were the one who said you got cursed as a human, and now that Sakura fixed that curse, you think you're cursed as a wolf," Tsunade said with a sigh.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sakura asked as she tried to soothe Kakashi by petting along his neck. It was odd, but still endearing, to see him express so much emotion at once.

"Maybe if you tried another kiss? That snake's curse seemed tricky, so maybe it adapts to whatever Kakashi thinks is the worse torture. Every time he's a human he can be with you, but still wants to return to his natural form. And every time he's a wolf, he'll want to change back to be with you."

Sakura thought it sounded too convolutedly convenient, but she was desperate.

She looked at his slobbering mouth, mentally shivered, and instead leaned up to place a kiss along the scar that bisected his left eye. Sakura waited until she felt cool skin instead of soft fur before pulling away and opening her eyes.

This time she could watch as a demure smile spread across Kakashi's face.

"Yes, great, great, you're somehow managed to find a loophole against evil. Now either kiss again or put on some pants," Tsunade groused.

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Kakashi favored to remain a wolf most of the time, just as Sakura continued to favor red even in winter when it made her a walking target. The dogs were trained easily enough, which was good, as it allowed more time for the great wolf to settle down before the rebuilt fireplace with Sakura to read and enjoy some hot soup.

And every time Kakashi wanted to change, he simply butted his nose against her side in a nagging fashion until Sakura relented.

* * *

><p><span>An additional Disclaimer<span>: I do not own the duel-mentioned Princess Mononoke.

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Word Count: Each passage was 300 words or less  
>Posted: 11.18.2014<p> 


	12. In the Universe of Fairytales II

Scenario Nine: In the Universe of Fairytales II

_Snow White AU_

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Sakura did not think herself beautiful, but apparently the wicked Orochimaru did not share that belief.

"If anything _Sasuke_ is way prettier than me," Sakura muttered as she marched through the forest with just a small pack of food and essentials.

While it had been hard to say goodbye to her parents and friends, they understood that when the leading evil sorcerer was after your face, you typically went in to hiding. And the forest was convenient, there was food to hunt, and Sakura could just wait it out until she got older and potentially uglier.

One could only hope.

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Expecting to find only trees in the woods, Sakura was pleasantly surprised to find a cottage beside a stream. She noted the split-in-two door, and crawled through the open lower half when no one answered her knocks.

"These beds are really weird," Sakura declared as she looked down at the eight round pads of various sizes.

With a shrug Sakrua hauled them all together in a big pile and went to sleep, because running for her life was a little tiring. So tired, in fact, that she seemed to have forgotten all her basic manners. Like not breaking and entering.

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"What do we do?"

"The boss is away, and there's an intruder!"

Sakura awoke to loud voices and blinked up at all the furry faces eclipsing her vision.

"Good afternoon," a pug said with a nod.

Scrambling to sit up, Sakura fisted her hands against her vest in defense.

"We don't want to hurt you," a dog the size of a pony rumbled. "Do you need help?"

"I could use a place to wait out Orochimaru," Sakura admitted.

"Urgh, that snake? Stay as long as you want!" one with dark circles around his eyes yipped.

"Yeah, yeah!" they all chorused.

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Sakura was best at punching and potions, but she could do household chores as well. So she agreed to clean, cook and force the dogs to take baths in return for the safe haven.

Everyday as they went off to survey, Sakura sent them off with a friendly pat on their heads. Sometimes Pakkun tried to circle around for a second go, but the others always caught him before he could.

It was a tad boring, but Sakura enjoyed the company and all the time she had to read. Whoever their master was had quite some _interesting_ taste in literature.

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After a week of domestic bliss, someone knocked on the door. Seeing as the dogs just entered, never even bothering to lock the door, Sakura knew it was a stranger.

As the old woman spoke promises, all Sakura heard was the underlying hiss.

Knowing better, she rudely ordered: "Go away, Orochimaru."

Of course Orochimaru was not going to give up that easily, and simply sent an intruding snake. Sakura easily cut off the forked-tongue head, but unfortunately had not accounted for it moving after its bloody separation.

"Gross," Sakura said when she felt the fangs sink in to her foot.

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When the cheerful dogs came back from their patrol to find their newest friend deathly still, they howled in loss.

"A snake- she was poisoned!" sleepy Guruko cried.

"What do we do?" big Bull rumbled.

"She's dead!" savage Urushi exclaimed.

"We thought we'd found the perfect one for boss," calm Ūhei whined.

"Now all we have is a dead girl who was as sweet and savage as can be!" brash Shiba snapped.

"She gave the best head scratches," cool Akino commented.

"And made the best biscuits!" small Bisuke yipped.

"This is the saddest day of my life!" wise Pakkun mourned.

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Kakashi shuffled in to his hidden home after another mission. He was surprised to not be immediately swarmed with piles of fur and deafening barks from his dogs. Instead it was eerily quiet except for the occasional whine, and they were all gathered to stand guard over something hidden by their slouched bodies.

"Yo...?" Kakashi drawled out.

"_Boss_!" they all cried as they turned. "You have to help Sakura!"

Frowning, Kakashi walked forward before crouching down to get a better look through one eye at the prone, pale young woman.

"I see you've all managed things well in my absence."

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Despite being a genius, Kakashi was totally stumped on how to bring someone back to life. But then he remembered something abstract: an ancient, farfetched remedy.

"Maybe if I kiss her?"

The dogs nodded, obviously desperate. Truly Kakashi felt bad, as this lady was quite pretty and young. So with a sigh, Kakashi leaned down and curled his fingers around the edge of his mask to pull it down-

But it was not meant to be, as Sakura awoke with a gasp. She cracked her forehead against Kakashi's, just as he was thinking of how lively her green eyes were.

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"That was a little tricker to counteract than usual- oh? Who's this?"

Kakashi remained splayed on the ground with a spinning head. He deserved it, thinking that 'True Love's Kiss' would actually work.

"People say I'm hardheaded, but you're making me feel bad," Sakura informed.

This time Kakashi managed a week groan. Frowning, Sakura pushed aside the tail-wagging dogs to get to the mystery man with silver hair.

"You have the biggest forehead I've ever seen. And maybe it's the concussion talking, but I think I love you."

The dogs began howling again, but this time it was in victory.

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Sakura attended to the man's accidental injury as the dogs giggled. She found herself blushing not from his bold declaration, but at the steady way his sole eye studied her.

Of course Naruto decided to interrupt by kicking down the door and declaring: "Sakura-chan, I've come to welcome you back! Sasuke killed Orochimaru and replaced him as fairest in the land. He promises not to kill you even if you're a threat!"

Naruto's smirk diminished momentarily before he exclaimed even louder: "And what are you doing with the heir to the throne?!"

"You're a _prince_?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi shrugged helplessly.

* * *

><p>Word Count: 100 words each; 1,000 in total<br>Posted: 11.20.2014


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